


Adora and the Force Captains of Power

by Dolchang1



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Alternate Universe - Adora Remains with the Horde (She-Ra), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Catra is She-Ra, Catra (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/F, F/M, M/M, Shadow Weaver | Light Spinner (She-Ra)'s A+ Parenting, after december 3rd will be back to bi weekly, but adora is a strategical mastermind, catra is a tactical genius, except shadow weaver, headcanons about the horde, will update monthly until december
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:27:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 74,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25088404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dolchang1/pseuds/Dolchang1
Summary: As Adora quickly tried to navigate through the canopy of the Woods, she was caught by a stray vine, falling to the floor.In another universe, she would have had a vision of Light Hope, met two Rebels who would eventually become her friends, and save Etheria as She-Ra, Princess of Power.Here, however, this fate was not Adora’s. It was Catra’s.Updates idk, when I feel like it igYes, this is the very original 'Catra finds the Sword' AU. But It's mine, and I'm posting it anyways. Hopefully you enjoy. Criticisms welcomed.Currently on: The Frozen Forest
Relationships: Adora & Scorpia & Kyle & Lonnie & Rogelio (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow & Catra & Glimmer (She-ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 82
Kudos: 109





	1. Episode 1. The Sword part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, this is one of the millions of ‘What if Catra found the Sword?’ AUs, and It’s my first fanfic so it might not be the best; but this is my (hopefully) relatively different take, and I hope y’all enjoy it. Also, I skipped the first part, so sorry about that.

“I take it all back. You are officially awesome!” Catra yelled, as she and Adora rode through the desert just outside the Fright Zone. “I’ve always wanted to drive one of these things. Here, give me.” then Catra pushed Adora, taking the handle for herself. “Whoa, there. Save us enough fuel to get back.” Adora interjected. Catra did not care, as it was a problem for ‘future Adora and Catra.’ Their squabble, however, led them to an unexpected destination-

The infamous Whispering Woods. “They say there are strange, old monsters in there, and the trees move when you’re not looking. Every Horde squadron they’ve sent in there has never come out again.” Adora’s intention was probably to discourage Catra from getting further in the woods, but Catra took it as a personal challenge. “Let’s go in.” Catra declared excitedly. As she joyrode through the woods, ignoring a concerned Adora, she failed to notice that the skiff was heading straight towards a tree. “Catra, tree, tree!” Adora shouted as she wrested the control bar out of Catra’s hands, desperately pulling it so the skiff would pitch upwards. As Adora quickly tried to navigate through the canopy of the Woods, she was caught by a stray vine, falling to the floor.

In another universe, she would have had a vision of Light Hope, met two Rebels who would eventually become her friends, and save Etheria as She-Ra, Princess of Power.

Here, however, this fate was not Adora’s. It was Catra’s.

“Adora!” Catra was panicking. Shadow Weaver would kill her if she found out that her and Adora had sneaked off, and she could only imagine that a fate somehow worse than death would be waiting for her if Adora was harmed. She turned her skiff around as quick as she could, rather hurriedly parking it beside a random tree stump, when she’d noticed it.

A clearing, which was surprisingly devoid of features save for one thing: A sword, with intricate patterns carved into the blade, with a huge gemstone adorning it. The sword wrapped by overgrown roots that fit it like a sheath. However, Catra did notice that there was a crack in the gemstone, and the sword was overall decrepit. Nonetheless, she gazed at the sword with awe. ‘This could be the perfect excuse,’ Catra thought, ‘whatever this is, it must be valuable.’ Catra reached out to touch it, when….

Visions flooded Catra. Broken visions. “Bala-la-la-nce must be restored.” Etheria and her moons. A glitching image of the Whispering Woods. A pearlescent gemstone on top of a spire. “Etheria must seek-seek-seek-seek-seek….” The sword. A ruin. A warrior wielding the sword. A purple woman. “Catra, Catra...”

“Catra!” Catra woke up to a worried Adora, calling out her name. “Catra, are you okay?” “I’m fine, Adora. What happened, anyways?” asked Catra, groggily. “Well, I fell to a nearby bush, and I searched for you, when I found the skiff. You were lying near it.” “Let’s get back before Shadow Weaver kills me, okay?” Catra lashed out from embarrassment. “Hey, where’s the sword?” Catra asked. “What sword? You were just laying there.”, replied a dumbfounded Adora. “Have you been seeing things? You haven’t even crashed into anything.” “It was nothing. Let’s just go.”

Catra couldn’t sleep that night. Visions, like when she touched the sword, plagued her all night. Except it wasn’t calling for her name. It called for Adora’s. She slowly opened an eye, then got up, making sure to not wake Adora. When she sneaked past the bots and the guards to the skiff hangar bays, a voice called for her. “Catra?” Catra looked back to see a confused Adora. “What are you doing here in the middle of the night?” Adora inquired. “I’ll be back in a few hours, okay?” “What? What is this about? Where are you going? Can I come with you?” A flurry of questions flooded Catra, and she didn’t want any of it. “I said I’ll be back soon, Adora!” Catra yelled, clenching her fists. “Just... Cover for me while I’m gone.”

Catra was holding back tears as she rode the skiff back to the Whispering Woods. Adora was the chosen one. Again. She was Shadow Weaver’s golden child, a model soldier, and now, a force captain as well. It was only fair for Catra to at least keep the sword that  _ she _ found. She parked the skiff near the edge of the Whispering Woods, and walked to where she first found the sword. It was then when she sensed two people near her, and by the looks of it, they were after the same thing. 

"Bow, just let me lead the way, okay?" A whiny voice cried out. As Catra hid to the forest, wary of the two, a girl with pink hair, and a boy with a bow and a midriff made their way through the bushes. 'Of course the idiot with the bow is called Bow,' Catra thought. 'Figures.' 

She made three guesses before making a run for the sword: That the two were for the same thing she was, and that she was faster than the two. When she bolted for the sword, she saw the two rush for it as well. So she was right about the first guess. The two also didn’t seem to have the same agility that she had. The second guess was right as well. However, the sparkly girl blinked to the sword right away, and if Catra was a moment late, she would've thrown the sword at Bow, which would have complicated things. Fortunately, Catra was just able to snatch the sword out of sparkle girl's hands.

When Catra touched the sword, she was seemingly teleported into a room with a blinding flash, with the purple woman from earlier.

"Hello, Adora." The strange woman said. "But I'm not  _ Adora.  _ I'm Catra!" Shouted Catra. ‘Not this again,’ she thought.

“My name is Light Hope. I have been waiting a long time for you.”The woman continued on, unaffected. “But I could not reach you until you forged your connection with the sword.”

“Are you listening? I’m  _ not  _ Adora!” Catra shouted out in frustration.

“The sword was meant for you-”

“I’m Catra! I found the sword. Not Adora. Not anyone else. Me!” Catra was on the verge of tears. Although Catra didn’t know it, she’d felt like she’s been nothing without Adora. This was, of course, because of Shadow Weaver’s constant belittling and Adora’s smothering attention, though Adora did not intend it. After all, Adora had been told all her life that she was responsible for the ‘Insolent whelp’: it was only natural for her to protect Catra. Catra didn't know this, however. 

Then, the woman flickered for an instant.

“Etheria has need of you,  _ Catra. _ ”

Catra looked to the woman in shock. Had she finally been recognized as the owner of the sword?

“Will you answer its call? Will you fight for the honor of Grayskull?” The glitchy hologram said, as if Catra could understand one word of what she was saying. 

“What? Who is Grayskull? Am I fighting for him now? I don’t understand!”

The Magicat was confused. What did Light Hope mean by this? Was she bound to some entity called Grayskull now?

“You will.”

With that, she woke up to find herself bound by a rope. 

“Hey, she’s awake!” The boy with the midriff said, as if it wasn’t obvious. Catra would have normally come up with some snark, but at the moment she had no energy to do such a thing, and an “Obviously” was the best she could come up with. “Quiet, horde spy. How did you make it this far into the Whispering Woods?” The pink haired girl said in a way that was meant to be threatening but was just annoying. 

“I flew here. No big deal.” She said with a smirk. “Ha, ha. Very funny, Horde spy!” The girl said in a frustrated tone. “Why did you try to steal our sword?”. ‘The girl actually thinks the sword is theirs.’ Catra scoffed at her entitlement. “The sword isn’t yours, moron. Besides, I found it first.” “The Whispering Woods is under the Rebellion’s protection. You were lucky to make it as far as you did.” Catra rolled her eyes. "Come on, Bow. Let's get this spy back to Bright Moon where she can be interrogated properly."

Then Glimmer took the archer to somewhere she thought Catra couldn't hear them. "This is perfect! Not only do we have First Ones tech for the Rebellion, we've also captured a Horde spy! Mom's gonna be so impressed!" "Great job, I'm sure your mom will be proud of you now!" Catra shouted from the distance. It amused Catra to see her captor's reaction. While Catra took her time to torment her captors, she made sure she also took in the information. She could deduce that Sparkle girl was, in fact, a princess. And that the sword was an ancient relic, although the sword's sorry state gave it away. But the most important thing was, the princess was in need for her mother's recognition. Now that she had information about the sword and her incompetent captors, she could escape at any time. Except she didn't.

Although Catra was afraid of Shadow Weaver's wrath, it wasn't like she hadn't gone missing before. Most times, she didn't even care. Besides, the motor mouths that the two were, they would leak a lot of information if she just stayed a bit longer. And she was curious on where this was all heading. Even if things did get dangerous, she was only bound by her hands. The two wouldn't be able to stop her if they tried.

"Now come on, on your feet." 

Catra followed. After some time was spent walking, Catra was doubtful that the princess knew the way back to Bright Moon. 

"You positive we're going the right way, Glimmer?"

The ever-positive archer boy said. Catra, while she thought him and his bright attitude obnoxious, she did hate him less than this 'Glimmer', who Catra thought was just a whiny princess. 

"I know what I'm doing, bow. Can you just trust me for once?" Catra couldn't resist making a remark. "Yeah, arrow boy, let sparkles do her thing. It's not like she's a spoiled princess brat who never left her castle or anything." 

“I’m not spoiled! And I’m a commander!”

“At least the Horde isn’t riddled with nepotism. You’re only a commander cuz you’re a  _ Princess _ .” This was apparently a touchy subject to Glimmer, since she snapped. “Bow, shut her up!” Before she could bite back, Bow quickly gagged her with a spare rope. 

“Anyways, I know where I’m going, Bow.” Glimmer said as she strutted off, scouting for any sign of a village. As she approached a clearing, she found a village. 

Or what was left of it.

When Bow quickly headed towards Glimmer’s sobbing, taking Catra with him, he also saw the ruins of a village. Catra figured that the Horde razed the village, because unlike Adora, she actually saw the Horde for what it was: a merciless force who would stop at nothing to dominate Etheria. " _ You  _ did this." Said Glimmer, in an uncharacteristically calm voice, seething with anger. "I bet you were part of the raiding party that did this." Catra was roughly ungagged by Glimmer, who demanded an answer. "I didn't do this, okay? I haven't even seen active duty yet." 

"It doesn't matter. You're a heartless destroyer, like the rest of your people. Ever since the Horde got here, they've been poisoning our land, burning our cities, destroying everything in their path. And you're a part of it!"

"I didn't  _ choose _ to be a Horde soldier, it's not my fault that I was  _ taken _ as a baby!"

Bow intervened. "Glimmer, she's just a victim as we are. Let's just quickly take her to Bright Moon."

Glimmer walked forward and away from the others, as Catra snapped at Bow. "I am  _ not _ a helpless victim." Bow, instead of answering, looked at her with a gaze some could call compassionate. Catra found it to be condescending. Catra was just about to say some very hurtful words to Bow when Glimmer came running in, hugging  _ Catra's  _ sword, her voice whinier than usual. And… afraid, too?

"There's something out there. Something big." 

"How big?"

Bow's question was answered by the ground splitting to reveal a giant bug. The gargantuan creature charged to them, and the three of them were understandably in a panic. Glimmer was the one who acted first, throwing bursts of sparkles to the monster's eyes, hoping to hurt or distract the creature. When it didn't work and it swatted Glimmer aside as if she was a bug, Bow fired an arrow that exploded to cover the six legged creature's mandibles. Meanwhile, Catra was quickly scrambling for the sword when she noticed the bug was scrambling for her. Instead of running away like a normal cat-person, she decided to commit and grab the sword, as if the sword would somehow save a handcuffed Catra from a 20 feet tall insect. As she grabbed the sword just in time to parry the insect's feet from crushing her, she heard the voice from before. But this time, Light Hope was calling for  _ her _ . 

"Catra, will you fight for the honor of Grayskull?"

Normally, Catra would have questions, but with her entire body supporting the sword so the insect wouldn't reduce her body to a paste, she had no time for such luxuries. 

"For the honor of Grayskull!"

When the flashing light finally receded enough for two rebels to look up, Catra was gone. 

There was only She-Ra.


	2. Episode 2. The Sword Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra turns into a princess.
> 
> Adora goes on her first mission.
> 
> The rebels see the good in Catra.

Catra turns into a princess.

Adora goes on her first mission.

The rebels see the good in Catra.

Catra was bracing herself for impact. When too much seconds passed and she felt no such thing, she cautiously opened her eyes to see the bug bowing down to her, and found herself transformed. 

First of all, her crimson Horde-issued uniform, with her modifications(the ripped pants) were completely replaced with mysterious white fabric, with golden shoulder pieces. Her hair was now a shining blonde, and her once tangled hair had been straightened out and extended to her waist.. Her wiry build had been sized up and she was adorned with a golden tiara that resembled the headpiece she wore, as well as golden bracelets. And worst of all, she had skirts on shorts. Bow and Glimmer were shocked as they stared up at the blonde warrior, who seemed to be staring at the bug with a stern look of determination. 

"Glimmer?" Bow asked in a shaky voice.

"Yeah. I see her, Bow." Glimmer reassured him, despite the fact she wasn't sure about what she saw, either.

"Okay, I wanted to make sure it wasn't just me." Then she-ra shrieked, shocked at her new appearance, and with a flickering light turned back to her magicat self. 

Glimmer, hunched behind the briefly 8 feet tall lady, quickly took the chance and quickly wrested the Sword out of Catra's hands. It proved to be a mistake when the dormant bug flared back to life, forcing the three to run in the opposite direction. The three had scrambled through the woods until Catra, Glimmer, then Bow didn't see the small cliff ahead of them, falling on top of each other as a result. Catra squeezed out, noticing a ruined building in front of her. Hopefully she could seek refuge there? Looking behind her, Catra could see Sparkles, Crop Top and the giant bug after her. Fortunately, the bug had a hard landing, the cliff behind it crumbling and crashing down on it. It bought enough time for the other two to make their way to Catra, hoping that the Magicat would magically have a solution. 

She didn't.

The three were flailing away at the door, trying to open it in any way possible. Catra thought that the situation would have been a bit funny if she wasn't in immediate danger of being killed. Prying open the door wouldn't work, fist-to-door sparkles didn't work either, and no amount of scratching would make the door yield. "Everyone, grab on, I can get us in there!" 'Is she trying to save me as well?' Catra thought. Catra quickly dismissed that thought. 'No, she just wants her prisoner home.'

"Glimmer, no! You've never teleported three people at once!"

‘She’s also not in full control of her powers, escaping them will be a breeze.’

This was an excuse, of course. Catra was just curious, and to her finding out more about the Sword was more important than returning to the Fright Zone. 

Her thought was interrupted by the giant creature shaking off the rocks that had been crushing it, once again charging for the three intruders in the forest. Catra noticed the wall had writings on them- a password? 

“Eternia?” Catra quietly muttered to herself. It wasn’t quiet enough, as the door recognized the password and opened with a rumble. They didn’t waste a single second, as the bug was barely stopped by the door closing, leaving the three in darkness. Glimmer used her power to manifest a ball of light in her hands, dimly lighting the space near her.

“How did you do that?” the whiny princess asked, as if Catra knew. “How did I do what,  _ princess _ ?” she retorted. “How did you open the door?” Glimmer spat out, volume increasing with every word she said. “It’s called reading, Sparkles. You should try it out some time.”

Catra didn’t expect her reaction. She expected mild annoyance. What she got was a look of disbelief and curiosity. “Are you saying that  _ you _ , a Horde spy, was somehow able to read First Ones writing?” 

Wait. They couldn't read the letters? And who were the First Ones? At this point, Catra realized she was starting to know too much for her own good. The Horde was very keen on keeping information from its soldiers, Adora a prime example. She was somehow oblivious that the Horde was not as good as it made itself out to be, which was surprising since Adora was quite smart when it came to other things. 

But then, Adora never noticed Catra’s suffering at the hands of Shadow Weaver.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Sparkles’ incessant questions. “Are you even listening to me?” 

“That’s a strange way to start a conversation, isn’t it?” Catra asked faux-innocently. Glimmer, frustrated, groaned and picked up her pace to get away from the annoying magicat.

Bow, seeing that Glimmer was at quite a distance, expressed his gratitude to Catra. 

“Thanks for saving us from the giant bug thing,” he said in a warm voice. “I didn’t do anything. You were just behind me, using  _ me _ as a meat shield.” “We know you could have run away at any time, but you didn’t! I know you’re nicer than you let on-” He was interrupted by a sharp hiss from Catra. “Shut. Up.” Bow gulped, not talking to Catra after. 

Meanwhile, it seemed like the princess was experimenting with the Sword up ahead. “For the honor of Grayskull.” Catra heard Glimmer whisper. So the princess is loud even when she whispers. “It’s not gonna work, it only works for me, princess!” Catra shouted in a mocking tone. She didn’t fully believe it, though. The way she understood it, the Sword was supposed to be Adora’s, and she only got to use it because she found it first. What if the Sword works for everyone? Fortunately, the Sword didn’t seem to work for her. 

“What?” Bow said, confounded. “Nothing! I mean, uh… Look at these carvings! I think this might be a First Ones ruin.” then she quickly got away from Bow. Catra raised her eyebrow in curiosity. First Ones? Were they related to the Sword in some way? “Psst. Arrow boy. Who are the First Ones?” Catra whispered to Bow, since she was sure Sparkles would have just told her to lay off.

“The First Ones are the original settlers of Etheria. They disappeared a thousand years ago, but they left behind a lot of old ruins and technology. Like this place.” 

“What happened to them?” 

“No one knows. They just disappeared. The Horde didn’t tell you about them?” 

“Yeah, well, the Horde isn’t really open with its secrets.” 

They caught up to Glimmer, who was frustrated at the ruins. The annoying prisoner. And Bow, for being so nice to the Horde soldier. Why would he be nice to the same people who took so much away from them? “Ugh, how do we get out of here?” She groaned. “It’ll take forever to find a way out at this rate.” Bow sighed. But then, if Catra could open the door, couldn’t she turn on the lights? “Hey, you wanna turn on some lights…?” Bow remembered that he never had the chance to ask her about her name. 'I'll ask later', he thought. “I can see just fine in the dark. And besides. I don’t know how to do that even if I wanted to.” Catra snapped. Glimmer was frustrated. Couldn’t the cat girl help them with anything? She was starting to seriously regret everything about this mission. 

If the Horde soldier didn't/couldn't help, then Glimmer would light the place up herself. "Everyone, stand back." 

"Uh, Glimmer? Maybe you should take it easy. We're a long way from Bright Moon. It'll be awhile until you can recharge." "Bow!" Said a slightly embarrassed Glimmer.

_ Recharge?  _ Catra wasn't sure if she heard her correctly. A princess, who needs to  _ recharge _ ? She was even more pathetic than she thought. 

"You need to recharge your powers? How did the Horde not defeat you princesses a long time ago?" Then she cackled. "Can we not talk about this in front of the Horde soldier? And you, shut up!" 

She was starting to seriously regret everything about the mission.

"Now, stand back!" As Glimmer focused her energy and grunted, a lot, the ball of light in her hands grew and grew until she threw it up, the ball exploding in a magnificent sparkle. Adora would have been impressed, Catra thought, but for her her eyes just hurt. This show of power apparently took a toll on the princess, as she showed signs of faltering. She pretended she was okay when Bow asked her, though everyone could see that she was exhausted in a way.

The light illuminated a stained glass window, of a simplistic, geometric depiction of the scary lady in the cape from before. Unlike her, however, the figure depicted didn't have feline ears or a tail. 

"Oh hey! That's you!...Kinda." Bow said. "I don't look like that!" Catra snapped, although she knew what Arrow Boy had meant. It  _ was _ like her. "You can read that inscription, right? What does it say?" Bow asked her in a friendly way, with a nudge to her shoulders. Catra could only scoff at his obnoxiousness. Why did he treat Catra like a friend, when she was their (temporarily willing) prisoner? The only one who dared not to respect her boundaries like this was…

Adora. 

Adora must be worried sick, Catra thought. The thought of Adora being worried didn't worry her, although she did feel a little guilty. But Shadow Weaver. If Adora went to Shadow Weaver, she would make sure Catra is heavily  _ reprimanded _ , as she would put it.

Unless she had the Sword. Maybe then she would see that it was for something. But she couldn't run away  _ and  _ take the Sword while Arrow Boy was holding onto it. She would have to sneak out while she somehow had the Sword. Which didn't seem that challenging, considering that Midriff Man seemed to trust her. 

Snapping back to reality, Catra read the inscriptions. "She-Ra." Suddenly, the inscriptions lit up with a pink glow, the light spreading from it to light the whole room up. The three were gazing at the display of light, when a hologram fizzed to light, startling them all, especially Catra who jumped up hissing. "Greetings, administrator." Catra grabbed Bow and pointed at the hologram, as if Bow would have any ideas. "What is that thing?!"

"What is your query?" 

The hologram asked nonchalantly. "Think it's some kind of ancient hologram." Bow added his two cents. Realizing that she had grabbed on to Bow's arm, Catra quickly pushed it away, a little bit embarrassed. "I can see that. Do you  _ know _ what it is?" 

"What is your query?" The dumb hologram asked again. "Uh, hi. What is this place?"

Nothing.

"How do we get out of here?" Bow asked again, slower this time.

"What is your query?"

"Keep trying, Arrow Boy. I'm  _ sure _ it'll work out soon." Catra snarked. 

Catra was contemplating escape, as nothing meaningful seemed to be derived out of this nonsense anymore. He could quickly tackle Arrow Boy, cut his bowstring in half, snatch the Sword from the bratty princess, then make a break for it. It wasn’t like Sparkles could actually do anything. 

“Administrator not detected. Initiating lockdown.” The hologram flickered out, and the entrances to the room they were in began to close. However, in the decrepit state the structure was in, the doors didn’t just close; they instead collapsed on itself, reducing their exit options to a bunch of rubble. 

‘I should have contemplated more quickly’, Catra thought, but she still saw a chance in this. The Sword seemed to be connected to it all, and if she could coax the Sword from Sparkles, she could stop the lockdown somehow. And then do the things she thought earlier. 

“Come on Sparkles. The Sword can probably fix this, so hand it over! I’ll turn back into the scary lady or whatever.” Catra said in a sincere tone, an act that was rare for her, even to Adora. Unfortunately for Catra however, it seemed the princess was too stubborn to give the Sword back to her, even if it meant fixing the whole ancient-ruins-crushing-them thing. Arrow Boy seemed to agree with Catra, though she wasn’t sure if he actually trusted her or was just desperate for any solution to get them out of this situation.

From what she could gather from him, it seemed like the former was very likely. But why? In the Fright Zone, trust was a very precious-and dangerous- commodity. It was why Adora was feared among the cadets, though Adora was unaware of it somehow. She had the utmost trust of Shadow Weaver, Hordak’s second-in-command and the de facto ruler of the Fright Zone, since Hordak seemed to have entrusted Shadow Weaver with overlooking the Fright Zone. But the rebellion, at least Bow, seemed to give out trust like ration bars. The brown kind, of course, because the grey kind was kinda rare. The rebellion must be soft, Catra thought, or they wouldn’t be like  _ this _ . Her thoughts were interrupted by a feeling of extreme uneasiness and vertigo. What she didn’t feel was gravity. They were not inside the ruins anymore; they were  _ above _ it. The princess could teleport three people at once, after all. Unfortunately, the effort had exhausted her to the point of rendering her unconscious.

As they were falling to their probable demise screaming and all, Catra saw Bow pull out an unusual looking arrow, and shoot it at the ground. The arrowhead split open to reveal its payload- a net, which spread open to cover the gap between the trees they were going to fall through. Catra braced for impact, hoping to not die. She managed to survive, but she had the misfortune of having a certain princess fall on her. 

Glimmer woke up to see Bow staring at her with concern, and an irritated Catra looking at her, clenching her back in pain.

"Did it work?" Glimmer asked, not sure if the situation was real or a dying vision. Bow chuckled in relief, and answered "Yeah, it worked. Barely."

Seeing Glimmer try to get up, Bow offered help to her, asking her if she was all right. Meanwhile, Catra was just sitting there, just looking as the two rebels got up. This princess was rude to Bow even as she helped, which made Catra wonder what is it Arroy Boy saw in Sparkles that could have make her act toward the way he does. 

"Why are you still here?" Sparkles suddenly asked her. "I'm your prisoner? I'll be on my way then." "No. I mean, Bow and I are hardly a crack security team. You could have escaped at any time. Why didn't you?"

"You got that right, Sparkles." Catra scoffed, though she knew herself that she was avoiding the question. Why didn't she escape? She was never  _ this  _ curious, nor did she find the two likable enough to stick with them. Why? And then, it clicked on her. She's finally found a destiny. Not hers per say, but still a destiny. And she was willing to see where it lead to. But she wasn't gonna tell them. "None of your business, princess." Bow seemed to pick up on her though. "If your blade is making you curious, Glimmer's mom knows more about First Ones' tech more than anyone. She'll-" Glimmer didn't like that. "First of all Bow, it's  _ our  _ Sword. Second, how can we trust the Horde scum that literally attacked us a few hours ago?" "Glimmer, if you can't trust her to betray us, you can trust ourselves- you and me- that we'll know. And she can't betray us until we reach Bright Moon, anyways." And then he whispered "And besides. She's a victim as much as we are. She's probably been taken from her home, and we might be able to sway her to us, too. I believe in her. She saved us from the bug thing, remember?" 

Of course, Catra could hear his whispers. And Catra was getting something she barely got from the Horde- being treated like a decent magicat being. If only she had took Adora with her, she thought. Then she could have escaped the Horde together. These new feelings of self worth, a destiny, albeit a stolen one, and her resentment for the Horde was telling her to join the Rebellion. Her fears and her attachment to Adora was telling her to just get the Sword and run. Catra couldn’t decide. So she decided to stick along, for now.

"So if you want your questions answered, stick with us?" Bow said, extending his hand. "I'm sticking with you for now, but don't expect me to hold your hand." The Horde cadet spat out. 

Bow pulled back his hand to scratch the back of his head, when Glimmer took charge. 

"Let's go. There should be a village a few miles from here. They'll be able to give us a ride to Bright Moon." Then she turned around, glaring at Catra, "We've wasted too much time already."

They didn't know Shadow Weaver was scrying on them, with Adora on standby. "Adora, prepare for the invasion of Thaymor." "With our squad, right, ma'am?" Adora had persistently talked Shadow Weaver into letting her involve her squad in the invasion of Thaymor from the dastardly Rebels. "Yes, Adora. With your squad." Adora then hurriedly scuttled out to her squad bunkers, then checked her squadmates attendance per protocol. "All right, guys, we're going to liberate Thaymor. Roll call! Lonnie?" "Present!" She yelled."Rogelio?" Rogelio responded with a mighty growl. "Kyle?" "P-present, but…" "Catra?" Nothing. "Catra!" That's when Kyle mustered the courage to speak. "Catra's missing!" 

_ Oh, no.  _ Catra must have not returned. Adora quickly scurried back over to Shadow Weaver. "Shadow Weaver, Ma'am. Catra's missing! We'll have to post-" she was stopped with a gentle touch to the face. "Oh, Adora, Catra has defected. Didn't you notice anything was off about her?" Shadow Weaver looked into Adora's quivering eyes, almost feeling pity for the poor creature. Almost. "She-she said she would be back in a few hours!" "She had used you for her own ends again, Adora. Let this be a lesson to you." Ignoring Adora's emotions, she added "Now, you must take Thaymor, force captain. Go now!"

After what seemed like an eon of trekking through the woods, the three had finally reached a village controlled by the Rebellion. After briefly inspecting Catra’s wardrobe, Glimmer decided that her belt, with a communicator that contains the insignia of the Horde, needed to go. And to help her fit in, she was fit with some loose drapes. She looked ridiculous. “This is ridiculous.”, Catra growled. And Bow had the audacity to claim that all she needed was ‘something to tie it all together’, trying to stuff a flower in her hair. One hiss was enough to discourage the naive archer boy. “You may look ridiculous, but you don’t look like a Horde soldier anymore. Just try and keep a low profile. We’ll be in and out.” Then she beckoned to Bow and Catra to follow. 

The festival would have been amazing to any common person who happened to visit Thaymor during that time. To Catra, who had been itching to get out of the Fright Zone, the experience was amazing. She could see actual food, not the ration bars, not the contraband stale ‘food’ the senior cadets sold for favors, but actual food. And they were free to grab and eat? Catra was just amazed. “What is this?” “It’s a festival.” Bow answered, as if it was a common thing in the Rebellion. “You know, like a big party.” “What’s a party?” The question seemed to have shook Bow a bit. “You don’t have parties in the Fright Zone?” he asked in his obnoxious worried tone. Glimmer decided to check out on the conversation, and make sure it wasn’t drawing too much attention to them. And besides, she didn’t like that her friend was talking to Catra so much. “What did I say, Bow. In and out!” “But she has never been to a party before, Glimmer! This is serious.” Bow said in the most serious tone possible. 

Then, suddenly grabbing Catra’s hand, he led her to a food stall, leaving behind a tired Glimmer. Catra urged Bow to take a bite first before sinking her teeth into it herself, worried if the food was poisonous. It wasn’t. What it was was  _ delicious _ . Glimmer curiously looked at the Horde scum ravenously devoured the treat, feeling a tinge of sympathy for her. While the good goat people of Thaymor were dancing, Catra paid no attention as she devoured all the things on the plate, earning a proud look from Bow and a concerned look from Glimmer. Glimmer even had the decency to hand her her plate to Catra when she consumed almost everything on the table. And the candy stuffed thing whacking thing was also great! One of the kids entrusted to her a club to get the gourd’s innards out, and she obliged. The kids swarmed her with gratitude after, and although she vehemently rejected it, the truth was she loved the attention. The friendly demeanor of the Thaymoran people was a stark contrast to that of the Horde, where one stray look could earn you a beating. And not being hated by almost everyone- that was nice too. She genuinely enjoyed herself so much, that even Glimmer decided not to spoil the fun. 

Munching on a cotton candy, she could only nod when bow inquired “So, seriously? No parties ever?” She did ask him for some more tic tacs by sticking her palm out. “What do you do on your birthday?” A curious  _ hmm?  _ was all she could manage with her mouth full. “No birthdays?”  _ Whatever it is, it must be important to the Rebellion,  _ Catra thought. She was busy examining her small candy for imperfections, cracks, etc. “How is your life this sad?” Bow was ignored once again as Catra’s attention switched to something else- such a majestic creature, with jet black fur covering its body. Its legs were stunning, and it had a tail, just like hers. Pointing at the creature, Catra asked “What is that, Arrow Boy?” she asked. She normally wouldn’t have been so excited about a thing she hadn’t seen before, but the festival had hyped her up. “That would be a panther.”  _ A panther,  _ even its name was majestic. Its cry was equally as majestic. Everything about it was majestic. “You wanna go meet it?” Bow asked, slowly pushing her toward the ‘panther’. “What? No!” Catra said, though her resistance was more symbolic than actual resistance. “Come on, see? He likes you.” Bow gently moved Catra’s hand to the panther’s nose. The nose was a bit moist, and soft. Catra liked it, and by the panther’s low purrs, it liked it too. “Adora should have been here.” Catra said in a hunched voice. 

Bow slowly walked away from Catra and toward Glimmer, who was giving her a disapproving look. “Bow...” “Come on, I know you like her, too.” “I really don-” her rebuttal was cut short by the sound of artillery in the distance. They rushed to check on Thaymor. Or what was left of it, anyways. Taking cover inside a ruined building, Bow had questions. “Why are they here? The people of Thaymor aren’t a threat.” The pieces clicked together in Catra’s mind. The invasion. 

Now she had a choice. Will she take the sword and return to the Fright Zone? Or will she convince Adora to leave the Horde and defect together? Catra was at quite the predicament, so she chose to do what she did best. Betray the trust of people foolish enough to give it to her. Snapping the rope that had acted as a sort of sheath, she grabbed the sword and ran to the plaza, hoping to get picked up by Adora, who would definitely be leading the invasion. She felt guilty about betraying the one of the only two people who treated Catra like a decent person, but she was an animal, a lowly beast. This was what she did best. But at the plaza, something made her change her mind. 

The children. The children were futilely banging away at the tanks, and one of them had spotted Catra. Then, much to Catra’s dismay, the same child took the club and started walking over to Catra, presumably to give the club. Expecting her to smash the tank to bits, like she did with the gourd. Catra knew that sooner or later, some soldier would capture the children. 

It would mean condemning them to the same fate as herself. 

Catra knew this was wrong. That the right choice was to join Adora and return to the Horde with her bounty, ratting the princess out while she was at it. But she had to do this. She had to find Adora, and stop the invasion. 

Fortunately, it was Adora who found her. As the pneumatic tank hatch opened with a hiss, she found herself locking eyes with the new force captain. “Catra?” A confused voice escaped her lips. “I- I thought you defected! How are you here? Come back to us! I miss y-”

“Adora, wait! Thaymor isn’t a rebel stronghold. It’s just a village, plain and simple!” Adora was visibly confused. “What? I- Shadow Weaver-” “-Is lying to you, the Horde is lying to you, Adora! Can’t you see? They're not who you think they are!” Looking around at the devastation, Adora noticed that there was no armed resistance coming from Thaymor, unless she could call little kids wielding a stick ‘armed resistance’. Horrified, Adora quickly paused her attack. 

“Adora, you can leave the Horde now! Come with me!”

“Come with you to who? The princesses? The Rebellion? They’re-they’re  _ evil _ , Catra!”

“Adora, Shadow Weaver’s been messing with our heads, to warp our realities since we were kids, and I was- I put up with it so we would eventually be calling the shots!” Adora just stared at her in disbelief. “But Adora, we could call the shots now! The rebellion will accept us, and with my sword, I can turn into a princess! We’ll be calling the shots in the Rebellion, just like we always wanted!”

Adora’s face hardened. “So, you’re leaving the Horde because you wanted to be the leader? And you can turn into a princess?” Adora’s jumbled and confused mind consolidated around two possibilities: One, Catra was betraying the Horde, and was trying to sway Adora, so she could join the Rebellion as a princess. Two, Catra was influenced by the princesses, or the sword somehow, and was not of sound mind. Three, the Horde was actually evil, and she'd been lied to her whole life. She put option three on hold for now, as she  _ had _ to deny that she was the bad guy all along.

Both other possibilities meant Thaymor probably wasn’t the civilian village it was, and either way Catra would have to be brought back to Shadow Weaver, either to be punished or to have her mind turned back to normal. Adora couldn’t believe Catra would just leave her like that, so she went with the second option, playing along until she saw a chance.

“Okay, Catra. Let’s go meet the princess, then.”

But Adora was a terrible liar, and Catra knew it. Noticing that Adora had silently pulled out a stun baton, she quickly dodged her jab and promptly disarmed her. “What was that for?” Catra asked in an understandably outraged tone. “Because… You’re not yourself! Catra, did you hear what you just said? About the Rebellion? About turning into a  _ princess _ ? Catra, you have to get yourself fixed up! Shadow Weaver can-”

Catra didn’t let Adora finish the sentence. “You trust Shadow Weaver over  _ me _ ?” Lunging at Adora, she’d lightly scratched her face, leaving a gash through her left eye to her nose. Adora yelped in pain, utterly betrayed at Catra. It took a second for the magicat to register what she had done, slowly backing away from Adora. 

Catra would never hurt her. Catra wouldn’t just leave for some high-ranking position on the rebellion, when they’d promised they would stick for each other. This wasn’t Catra. She wasn’t herself. Adora, now absolutely convinced that her friend was brainwashed in some way, shoved Catra away and re-ordered the attack on Thaymor. Pulling out her staff, she realized that she would have to hurt Catra in some way to incapacitate her. “I’m sorry!” was her battle cry as she charged at her friend, staff fully extended.

Meanwhile, Bow and Glimmer were holding off the invasion, and evacuating the civilians the best they could. However, Glimmer with her power depleted was not much help, and Bow was starting to run out of arrows. “I think that’s all of them.” Seeing Glimmer not respond, Bow snapped Glimmer out of her shocked state. “Glimmer, let’s go!” Evading a skiff that blocked their way, they realized they had almost no means of resistance left. But Bow didn’t let it get him, nor Glimmer to back down. Glimmer was the bravest person she knew, and with her, he was never going to give up.

Catra realized her best shot was the sword and the scary lady. Adora might hold back, but that didn’t mean the other Horde soldiers surrounding her would. And surrendering would not be an option, because Shadow Weaver. So the only option would be transforming. Raising her sword high, she screamed at the top of her lungs “For the honor of Grayskull!”

Adora couldn't believe her eyes. Catra was really transformed to someone else. She vaguely resembled Catra, only with slightly more distinguished features, but Adora knew this warrior standing before her was different. Her look was more determined, and more fierce despite most of her fighting spirit being hidden in her eyes. She looked inhuman, or inmagicat, depending on how you would describe her. By just thrusting her sword into the ground, she'd created an earthquake of some sorts that sent soldiers tumbling and tanks and skiffs flipped over. What was left of the Horde strike force, She-ra dispatched with ease. Adora was forced to signal retreat, unable to save Catra from whatever she was. "I'll save you," she whispered, "Whatever it takes."

Behind her, Bow and Glimmer stared at her with pride and disbelief, respectively as she glitched back to her own form. Then, both with a smile on their faces, rushed over to Catra.

"I know you could do it!" Bow yelled. "I didn't," Glimmer said less willingly, "But the thing that matters is that you  _ did _ !" And they went for a hug, which Catra vehemently rejected. "Shut up! I didn't want to do it, and now I can't return to..."

_ Home _ . "The Horde." She said instead. Glimmer comforted her, reaching out her hand. "Come on, Catra, you're with us no-"  _ us.  _ The word triggered something in Catra. Catra hissed, half in rage and half in sorrow. Glimmer realized his mistake, and corrected himself accordingly. "Catra, I'm sorry. But I'm sure you'll be able to convince your friend to join us, too! But for now, let's head over home. To Bright Moon." Catra slowly nodded and obliged. She was doing it so Adora and herself would call the shots eventually. When Adora came to her senses.

Somehow, that wasn't so convincing. But at least the gem of the Sword had been mended, its state back to pristine.

“Best. Friends. Squad!” Bow was extremely hyped, for a beginning of a new friendship. And so they marched on to Bright Moon...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive criticism appreciated. Also I know Adora thinks Catra is brainwashed has been done before, but it was the only plausible way Adora wouldn't join the rebellion.
> 
> Also wouldn't it be cool for Adora to have a scar?


	3. Episode 3. Razz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra makes a bad first impression.
> 
> Adora learns the basics of manipulation.
> 
> Angella comes to an understanding.

Bright Moon was a sight to behold. The majestic waterfall, the magnificent castle, adorned by its gem, the Moonstone: Glimmer, though born and raised in Bright Moon, still found the view breathtaking. "Meh." Catra said.. "Meh? What do you mean by meh?" “I mean, it’s cool, but it’s not that cool.” Glimmer was half angry, half confounded that Catra couldn't appreciate the stunning scenery of Bright Moon, despite only living in the Fright Zone for years. But to each their own, she supposed. Even if their own was objectively wrong.

“Okay, I just need to go in there, recharge, and deal with my mom.” Glimmer said in a tired voice, anticipating Angella’s reaction. “This’ll be fun.” Remembering the most important thing, Glimmer said to Bow, “Uh, Bow? Maybe you should take Catra in the back way?” “Oh, yeah, good call.” “The back way’s gonna be really rough, isn’t it.” Catra asked, anticipating the worst. Entering through the window, Catra was glad that she wasn’t really afraid of heights. Unlike Adora, who had a hard time with high places. “It might seem weird, but we totally come in this way all the time.” “But Sparkles teleports.” Bow didn’t answer, opting to instead throw a robe in Catra’s face, with a cheery “Oh! Hey, here! Why don’t you put this robe on? No reason.” “I get it, you’re trying to keep me hidden.” “What? No-” Catra’s stare was enough to make Bow fold. “Yes.” He admitted, drooping down. 

Glimmer, riding on the horse they found on Thaymor, was greeted by a guard who took the horse somewhere else, and a very worried Angella. "Glimmer! Where have you been?" Ignoring Glimmer's feeble "Hey mom", she continued. "All of Bright Moon had been worried sick! What were you thinking?" Glimmer was starting to get sick of her nagging. She was practically an adult now, right? So who did she think Glimmer was? "Mom!" Angella continued, in a mix of relief and anger, "How could you be so selfish and disobedient?" Glimmer couldn't quite listen to Angella's scolding, because of a very disorienting feeling that soon left her collapsing. Angella gasped. "Glimmer?" Holding her daughter in a cradle like position, she flied over to the Moonstone in a few majestic flaps of her wings. 

When Glimmer came back to her senses, she could see Angella sitting besides her, visibly relieved. “Are you all right?” she said in the gentlest voice. “I’m fine, Mom.” Glimmer offhandedly said, focusing more on her powers than her mother. “Don’t think you’re not in trouble. You didn’t even take the time to charge up before you left?” Angella said in a more stern, though less so than before, tone. “I didn’t think I’d be gone that long!” Glimmer, with a smile, made a ball of light not unlike the one she made back in the ruin. “Where did you go, anyway?” Angella inquired. But Glimmer was planning to keep Catra a surprise. “Okay. Bow and I found a piece of super powerful First Ones tech in the woods. We knew it would help the Rebellion, so we went to get it and bring it back, but we got a little sidetracked.” An understatement. “It was fine though, I totally had it under control.” An overstatement. “And while we were out there, we found something even better!” Angella raised her eyebrow, listening to Glimmer’s excited rambling. “What did you find?” “I can't tell you yet. But you're gonna love it. I promise!” Ignoring Angella, she teleported away with an “Wait here, I’ll be right back!”

Meanwhile, a paranoid Bow was opening, and closing, and opening, and closing… the doors in an attempt to keep any intruders out of Glimmer’s room. “Okay, I get it! You don’t like Horde soldiers!” Catra said, eyes rolling. “How much would they hate me?” “I wouldn’t say hate, I… you’re right. They are not gonna like you.” Catra rolled her eyes again. “It’s just that the people of Bright Moon have been really hurt by the Horde. Everyone here has lost someone in the war.” Kneeling in front of Catra, who had accidentally ripped a hole in a plush toy and threw it away in embarrassment, he continued. “You can’t blame them for being a little suspicious.” “Yeah, well, tell them I hate the Horde as much as they do.” Bow chuckled. “Haha, yeah. Once they get to know you, the people of Bright Moon are going to trust you, just like Glimmer and I already- Aaahhh!” 

Bow was startled by Glimmer teleporting, and Catra would’ve laughed at him if she wasn’t startled herself. Pretending to play it cool like she always did, she gave Glimmer a little note. “Hey Sparkles, if you teleport like that again, I will kill you.” “I know you won’t. Anyways, my mom’s on her way, but no one panic.” Catra panicked. “ _ What _ ?” “I said, no one panic! Don’t worry, she’ll love you. All you have to do is use the Sword to transform into She-Ra before-” “She’ll love She-Ra, you mean.” Glimmer’s smile paused. “Well, yeah, It’s not like my mom’s gonna buy ‘Hey, Mom, we found a Horde soldier. Can we keep her?’ You’ll have to start with-” “Whatever. I’m only in this for the reward.” Glimmer was dumbfounded. “Reward? We thought-” “You thought wrong. I may be fighting for you idiots, but I want something. out of. it.” Catra said as she poked Glimmer with her index finger. Glimmer was kinda irritated by her remark. “Fine. What do you want? As long as it isn’t too outlandish, we can make it happen.” Bow wasn’t sure that they could make it happen, and she signaled Glimmer to cut it out. Glimmer didn’t oblige. “First, I want money. Second, I want Adora to be safe if we capture her.” “That’s not too bad.” “Third, I want control of the Fright Zone when we conquer it.” That was, in fact, too bad. “We’re not doing the third one.” Glimmer declared, in the same tone as Angella when she issued a decree. "All right, then. No money." "No, I mean, no  _ Fright Zone _ . Mom will never allow that, even to She-Ra!" "Then I wanna be in charge of the Rebellion, with Adora when she gets around to it." That was a bit more plausible. "We'll put you on a council." Glimmer wondered why Catra relented just by being told off twice. Never did it occur to her that Catra never wanted the Fright Zone- all she wanted was to be in charge with Adora, calling the shots. It was all part of her negotiating tactics.

"Just… turn into She-Ra. Okay? Bow and I will buy you some time." Then they teleported away. 

Asserting her demands were the easy part. Now came the hard part, where she had to actually turn into She-Ra. Because to be honest, she didn't know how the whole transformation schtick worked. In fact, last time she turned, she felt wasn't in full control- it was more like she was in autopilot mode. But she had to do it, lest her head be separated from her neck. 

"For the Honor of Grayskull!" Nothing. "For the-" in the midst of saying her magic words, her Sword was caught by a stray curtain, unbalancing her. She was agile enough to not trip, however. 

Frustrated, she looked out the window to see the panther from Thaymor, chilling in the shade of a tree. Catra, despite a warning from Sparkles to stay put, she wanted to practice with the big cat by her side. 'How bad could it be?' She thought. 

5 minutes later, she had accidentally turned the panther into a mythical creature of some sorts, with wings and a horn, and she was running away from a horde of enraged soldiers and civilians, all fixated on Catra-especially the giant Horde insignia on her back.

Not knowing what Catra was going through, an oblivious Glimmer and Bow giddily guided Angella to Glimmer's room. "For the last time, what is this grand surprise that I'm supposed to be so impressed with?" "You'll see it in just a minute, Mom, I promise! Bow, can you go check and make sure that the 'surprise' is ready for us?" "You got it, princess!" Bow, smiling, nodded and went to check. "I like that boy," Angella said in an approving voice. "I know you do, Mom, and you're going to like this surprise even more!" She winked, producing a twinkle. Glimmer's excited noises were interrupted by an alarmed Bow strutting his way to the two royals. Moving Glimmer to a place he thought Angella couldn't overhear, the boy whispered aloud. "So… Problem." "What?" Glimmer's question was answered by a guard. "Your majesty. A horde spy has been discovered on the Bright Moon grounds. She attacked our troops with her claws, and then fled with the help of a winged beast." “What, did, you, do?” Her calm-ish voice was contrasted with her furious expression. 

“I’m telling you, this new princess is no joke. She wiped the floor with our recon squad.” Lonnie was quite the storyteller, and everyone was focusing on her story bar Rogelio, who was tending to Kyle’s broken arm. “Twelve feet tall at least! Took out every one of our machines with nothing but a sword!” Her exaggerations caused some questions. “Did you actually see her?” “No. And it’s a good thing, too! We were lucky to get out of there alive.” 

Adora had to intervene. “Lonnie, the new princess isn’t like the others!” Lonnie’s expression changed to that of sympathy. “Adora, Catra defected. She’s not gonna come-” Adora, almost angered by her statement, cut her off. “She’s brainwashed somehow by the princesses, and I’ll find a way to save her!” Lonnie, her face now stern, put a hand in Adora’s shoulder. “Adora, she’s not coming back.” Denying her statement to the best of her abilities, Adora pushed her away before heading to the Black Garnet chamber to report her failure.

Catra, now in the Whispering Woods after a marathon for her life, checked to see that the mob after her was now gone. “Gah! Why did I have to go out there, just to see that stupid cat!” Aggressively scratching the log behind her, she noticed her sword’s runestone was glowing again. “Now what?” Maybe there was a cooldown, and she could turn back again now? “For the honor of Grayskull!” Nope. Maybe the Sword previously working for her was a fluke. Maybe the Sword did belong to Adora, and now it wouldn’t work for Catra. Maybe-

The sound of metal clanging alerted Catra, and she leapt up to climb a tree, hoping to get a better view. The densely packed canopy of the Whispering Woods invalidated that, however. Leaping from tree to tree, Catra headed toward the noise despite her better judgement. The source of the noise was a old overgrown house. A seemingly senile old lady walked out, butterflies infesting her hair, jollily humming as she swept the front of her house with a broom. 

“Did you hear something?” silence. “Yes, I did, too.” ‘The old lady talks to herself,’ Catra thought. ‘I guess isolation does that to people.’ “Who’s there?!” Catra popped up from the bush, thinking the old lady wasn’t capable of any harm. “Uh, hello, weird old lady.” The old lady, adjusting her glasses, was delighted. “Oh, Mara, dearie, is that you? Where’s your horse?” “Uh, old lady, I’m not-” “About time you got here. Come on now, no time to waste. Let’s get going.” Her grip was surprisingly strong, and she couldn’t risk attention again by resisting the lady. So she played along. Her house was as messy as she expected it to be, and somehow the old hag was messing it up even more somehow. Laughing, the white haired hag said to Catra “We made plans to go berry-picking today.”

“Yes, of course.” Catra said. The lady squinted at her, eyeing her very suspiciously. “No. you don’t know Madame Razz, do you? You’re not quite the same. This is the wrong time for my Mara, isn’t it? Now You’ve got the Sword instead.” Her curiosity piqued. “Hold on. You mean there was others?” “Ha! Well, never mind. You’re here now, and there’s still berries to be picked.” 

Berry-picking with Razz was a daunting task, since the senile old lady didn’t seem to know where she was going. But she seemed to know about the Sword and its previous owner, so maybe she could help Catra transform? “Hey, Razz? You’ve said something about the Sword? You know something ‘bout it?” “Don’t ask such silly questions, Mara. You know you bring that sword around here all the time.” Catra groaned. This was going to be a tough nut to crack. “Listen, old lady, I’m not- ugh! How long did you live here alone, anyways?” “Alone? ME? Oh, no. I’m not alone! I’ve got my broom here, and my friend Loo-Kee, too, but he’s always hiding.” ‘Great, the senile lady also has an imaginary friend.’ She thought as she made her way through the foliage, seeing something. “Whoa.” A First Ones ruin, overgrown but otherwise pristine. “Is this a First Ones ruin?” “And the best place to pick fresh berries!” Razz was already scaling the smooth surface of the ruins, not caring about her safety; she was surprisingly agile, too, jumping between protruding surfaces of the tower. “That thing’s not safe, you senile hag!” But Madame Razz was just merrily hopping up, activating everything in her path. Finally, as she almost reached a sort of checkpoint, she activated some kind of security device that shocked Razz, plunging her toward the ground. Catra was a bad person, everyone knew it except that idiot Adora, but she had to save the old lady, if only for the information she knew. So she jumped up, catching Razz and landing safely on the floor. Apparently, Razz had accidentally reactivated the Tower, showing a hologram of what it looked like back in the days. “Oh, dearie me, that was quite a tumble, eh?” “Shut up, you hag.”

The hologram didn’t just show the ruin’s past- it also illuminated the skies, filling them with tiny glowing dots. “Oh. We used to come here to look at the stars. Do you remember, Mara? They’re all gone now. What happened to the stars?” Catra knew about the stars somehow. There was no way she could have seen the stars, nor heard of them (maybe Adora would have. One of her privileges was that she got to listen to story books read by none other than Shadow Weaver.), but she just  _ knew. _ Razz looked at Catra recollecting while popping a berry in her face. “What is this? What did you do to me?” Razz didn’t answer, just eating berries. “Look, I know you’re onto something. If you know anything about the Sword, you need to tell me!” After a short pause, Razz answered. “I brought you here to pick berries, and your basket’s still empty! So come on, silly.” Catra made an angry growl as she was dragged away by the ancient lady.

Walking to the Black Garnet chamber was not easy. Anticipating the reaction to her failure, and her punishment was scary enough; now she had to actually enter the chamber and face them. Knocking at the door, she was faced with a surprisingly calm Shadow Weaver. The worst possible outcome. "Come in, Adora." Her voice betrayed disappointment. Frustration. "I heard your invasion of Thaymor have failed. Was there any unseen obstacles, or were you just not up to the task?" Her voice is gentle, but contained a familiar venom. It was just like when she could not perform up to her expectations, whether it be Advanced Tactics, Weapon Assembly, or Physics. She absolutely hated it, hated not being as good as she expected her to be, hated failing. But there was a mission to report. "Yes, ma'am. There was an unforeseen variable." "Which was?" "A princess, ma'am. Catra-Catra was brainwashed and turned into a princess." Shadow Weaver pauses, then laughs. "Adora, do not try to entertain me with libel. Tell me what happened, Force Captain." "Catra turned into an 8 foot tall princess and attacked our army, I swear, ma'am!" Shadow Weaver, eyes narrowing, paused in thought. Could it be that She-Ra has returned? She certainly didn’t expect any princesses, for a petty town like Thaymor. However, a failure was a failure, and deserved to be treated as such. Using the binding magic she had previously used only on Catra, she made Adora kneel, and wince in pain. “I gave you a simple task, liberate Thaymor. Instead, your squadron is ravaged, your war machines destroyed, and Thaymor is still under Rebellion control.” Adora panicked as shadows began to surround her. “You will return to your quarters and await further instructions. Do not fail me again.” Then, Shadow Weaver gently cupped Adora’s cheek, and with a gentler voice, said “We will fix Catra together. But for now, there are more… pressing things to do.”

Returning to her quarters, going to bed, she could see the doodles that she drew with Catra when she was about 6. If she wasn’t filled with determination to get Catra back, she certainly was now. Gently touching Catra's drawn counterpart, being careful not to smudge it, she whispered “I’ll save you, Catra. And the princesses that did it to you will pay.”

Catra was chasing the ridiculously fast old lady, and she was starting to run out of stamina. Catching her breath, Catra shouted “Slow down, you hag!” “Eh? What’s that, dearie? I don’t have my glasses, you’ll have to speak up.” ‘Amazing. Every word in that sentence is wrong.’ Catra thought. “By Hordak, just tell me what to do!” Mara turned around, and Catra realized she’d made the great mistake of using the phrase ‘By Hordak’. Fortunately, Razz either couldn’t hear her or didn’t care. “How would Madame Razz know what you should do?” Catra was getting real desperate. “Look, I left my life behind because of one bad decision and there’s a very high chance of me being killed if I can’t turn into She-Ra!” She was interrupted by a broom tapping her face, and she was faced with a wasteland, an artificial one by the look of it. Catra was no geologist, but she could recognize Horde tanks everywhere. Even to someone as apathetic as Catra, the devastation was heartbreaking. Catra tried to not look at the tanks, thinking that it wasn’t her that did it. Razz held her hand gently, saying “Ah. It’s the same old story, dearie. Wicked people destroy what they cannot control.” “I...I thought they only attacked villages!” “Once, the princesses would have protected us. But these days, they-they stay in their castles, protecting only their own lands. Meanwhile, the Horde creeps ever closer. You’re very like my Mara, you know? Strong, loyal, but afraid.” “I’m not either of those things.” “But you are! You have withstood pain your whole life, have been loyal to your friend, and you ran into the woods and asked the first old lady you could find what you should do!” Catra was shocked. How did this hag know about her life? “No one is going to make this easy for you, dearie. Stop waiting for someone to tell you what the right thing to do is. You’re a smart girl. What do you think?” “I think...” Catra was conflicted. As much as she was at Thaymor. She was never the one to do the right things. She’d always used Adora, dragged her down, and was a general nuisance. Even the whole affair at Thaymor was nothing but an impulsive, rash decision. She was no hero, she was a selfish creature. But the two obnoxious rebels believed in her. Razz believed in her. And as selfish and uncaring as she was, she could very much see this was wrong.

Maybe, just maybe, even though Catra was no hero, she could fill in for one. “I think… this is wrong.” Just then, she heard a familiar cry. Kitty. He was being restrained by several Horde troopers, and Catra had to help. Filled with determination, she uttered the words, “For the honor of Grayskull.” 

A 6 feet tall burly beast, Force Captain Grizzlor thought himself a brave person. “Keep those lines taut.” These lines were declared with certainty. He didn’t flinch a bit when the Horse resisted, almost hitting him. But he did flinch when a glowing 8 foot tall princess charged him, claws bared. With a scratch, he was downed, and Catra used him as a stepping stool to jump further, using her sword to cut the ropes and set Kitty free. “Turn your machines off and get out. Now!” Grizzlor, getting up, decided that if she threatened them instead of carry out her threats without warning, she couldn’t carry on her threats. “It’s the princess. Get her!”

He was proven wrong. With one swipe of her sword, she manifested a shockwave that downed all troops present, save the Force Captain himself. Cutting down an Energy Cannon and chucking it at another tank, she felt a wave of vindictive thrill come over her. With a grunt, she threw her sword and another tank was destroyed. Force Captain Grizzlor was running away, calling for backup at this point. Catra mowed through the backup, punching and clawing her way through. Razz, proud of her dearie, exclaimed “That’s my girl!” before jumping from a tree, recovering her sword for her. Judging herself fit for some action herself, she tried her best to contribute to the battle, though the outcome was some futile broom strikes while yelling “Take that, you great lump! Razzle Dazzle!” “Get out of here, old lady!” Razz was going to get hurt, and she was too far away, when Kitty struck from the skies, making sure to give the poor trooper a proper mauling. 

Force Captain Grizzlor, though scared at first, remembered that he was a brave person. And so while she was busy being distracted, he made his way to an Energy Cannon, and aimed true. With a blast, the princess was downed, turning to a normal cat-lady with flickering flashes. “Mara, dearie!” Razz exclaimed. “Yeah!” were Grizzlor’s last words before becoming Kitty’s second victim. Horde soldiers, not as brave as Grizzlor, surrounded the fallen princess, now a normal magicat. Razz, pulling out some orbs from her person, threw them to the ground, yelling “Razzle Dazzle!” This time, an explosion of light blinded the Horde soldiers, while teleporting the three of them to safety.

Catra woke up to see a grateful Kitty and a proud Razz. “Hello, dearie.” Startled, she pushed both of them away before grabbing her chest in pain. “Ow!” “Swift Wind and I have been talking while you were asleep. He thanks you for coming to his rescue.” “Swift Wind?” “That’s what he prefers to be called. Also, he wanted me to make sure that you know that ‘Kitty’ was a stupid name.” “Swift Wind isn’t very good, eith-” “How do you feel?” was Razz being serious? Of course she was seriously injured. ‘Do one good thing and this is what the world does to me.’, she thought. “How do you think I feel? I got hit by an energy cannon! Of course I feel-”  _ fine.  _ She felt fine. “I’m… okay? And I feel like I know what to do now.” “If the princesses won’t defend Etheria, then I will. I need to get back to Bright Moon.” Catra said, feeling better. “Ah, that’s the spirit, dearie.” “Will I see you again?” the magicat thought she would need her again. “If you need me, you will always know where to find me.” Then she casually magicked her broom to her hands, getting back in. “Hey, can I get a ride to Bright Moon, Kitty?” Horsey neighed in defiance. “Swift Wind. Can I get a ride,  _ Swift Wind _ .” He obliged. 

Meanwhile, Bow and Glimmer was under a lot of flak. “How could you possibly think this was acceptable?!” “Mom, you don’t understand. You’re not listening!” “You’ve shown remarkably poor judgement! Allowing a Horde soldier into Bright Moon without telling me?” Glimmer was mad that Angella wouldn’t listen to her about She-Ra, about the heroic deed she committed at Thaymor, and just focused on the ‘Horde’ aspect of her. “Your majesty, it’s not all her fault.” Bow tried to shift the blame to himself a bit. Angella wasn’t having any of it. “Bow, I think it is time you went home. Glimmer and I have a  _ lot  _ to discuss.” Her voice, despite sounding calmer than before, was more furious than any shouting could be. “Mom!” Whatever excuse, plea she was going to make, it was stopped by a blinding light. She-Ra. Everyone in the court, at least everyone who knew the lore was She-Ra, was rightfully shocked to see the mythical warrior walk among them. 

“It can’t be.” “I was trying to tell you. Mom, meet-” “She-Ra.” Angella softly said, unsure of what she was seeing. “Your Majesty, I’ve come to work for the Rebellion. But first, you should be okay with this.” Then, she transformed back, showing her true form: a Horde soldier. Ignoring the gasps of She-Ra being a Horde soldier, Glimmer introduced Catra to the queen. “Mom, this is Catra.” “I know you have no reason to trust me, Your Majesty. But I’ve seen firsthand the things the Horde has done, and I’m ready to fight to stop them. If you give me the chance, and listen to some minor demands, I know I can help the Rebellion win the war.” She said as she laid her sword out, pledging herself to Angella. “I know the legend of the Warrior the First Ones called She-Ra. They said she would return to us in the hour of our greatest need to bring balance to Etheria. I never thought she was anything more than a myth. And yet you’re here now. And in the uniform of a Horde Soldier, no less. You would pledge to stand with us against those you once served?” “Yes, except Adora.” This evoked some murmurs from the crowd. “I have some conditions. Sparkles?” Glimmer recited the terms Catra offered, thinking that this wasn’t the best time to reveal them. Surprisingly, Angella accepted. Sighing, Angella continued. “Glimmer, you would vouch for her and take responsibility for her?” “‘Yes.” “Then rise. The Rebellion accepts your allegiance, She-Ra, Princess of Power.” “She-Ra! She-Ra! She-Ra!” Everyone was thrilled by the game changer that was She-Ra. Glimmer, squealing with joy, shouted to Catra “Welcome to Bright Moon!” Bow hugged them both, saying “But for real this time.” Catra, though she couldn’t help rolling her eyes, she could also feel warmth emanating from the deepest recesses of her heart. She just wished Adora was with her.

  
Meanwhile, Adora was in Shadow Weaver’s chambers, learning about tactics, logistics, and… other things. "Breaking the hold the princesses have on Catra will be difficult. You will need more than basic training to defeat her." “Defeat? Catra isn’t our-” “Adora. She not will be holding back. To subdue her long enough to get her back, you will need… pragmatic methods.” “What methods?” “The princesses are masters of deceit and manipulation. To stand a chance them, you will need to recognize it, and  _ match _ it.” “But… That isn’t what the Horde stands for!” Shadow Weaver was proud of herself for grooming such a subservient, perfect soldier. “To make an omelet, you must break a few eggs.” “What’s an omelet?” “It means, to achieve great things, you must sacrifice- I see there is much for you to learn.” Shadow Weaver noticed Adora, with hesitation on her face. “What is it, Adora?” “Well, Shadow Weaver, Catra told me that Thaymor was a civilian town… And I know she was brainwashed, but, but they didn’t resist. At all! And it was nothing like a rebel stronghold, and...” Shadow Weaver silenced her. “Hush, force captain. It was a trick, and you may check on it next week.” Shadow Weaver made a mental note to utilize mercenaries, to make Thaymor put up a fight. Still, Adora needed her lessons, to become the cunning and ruthless soldier she was raised up to be. Her innate goodness and hero complex was standing in her way, but she would quash it eventually. But for now, she would start small. “Adora, do you know how to  _ lie _ ?” Adora lied down. This was going to be a  _ long _ lesson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates will probably be twice weekly. Or a bit more often. I need to study but I'm an expert procrastinator B)


	4. Episode 4. Flowers for She-Ra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra is intimidated.
> 
> Adora attends Force Captain Orientation.
> 
> Perfuma finds a new hobby.

"This is awesome!" Glimmer said, raising her hands up high. "I can't believe Mom let you stay in Bright Moon!" "Wait. You mean you weren't sure if she would let me stay?" "Uhh… I meant the Bright Moon castle! I guess Mom trusts you enough." But Catra knew that she wasn't trusted by anyone other than Glimmer and Bow, one of the evidence being the guards' whispers, of the Princess and the Queen's poor judgement. Catra pretended not to hear that.

"Okay. You've seen the dining hall, the throne room, the portrait hall. So, the last stop on our grand tour is your new room!" Glimmer squealed in excitement. "Ta-da!" 

The room was big. And gorgeous. And big. Catra was taking in the scenery, analysing the room, when Glimmer said in a nonchalant voice "Pretty standard. You got your vanity, bathrooms, crystals, bell pull, tea nook, more crystals, bed, desk, and of course, the waterfall." Catra was dazed, due to the way she nonchalantly listed luxuries not even imaginable in the Fright Zone as if they were 'standard'. So far, Catra was loving every aspect of it save for the waterfall. She  _ hated  _ water. "Can you get rid of the waterfall? I hate it." Glimmer laughed. "Ha! Good one, Catra. But  _ no one _ hates waterfalls." Finally containing her laugh, she continued. "I'm right down the hall if you need anything. Night!" Then she headed out. 

"Well, this is certainly different, but I could get used to it." Then she jumped to the bed, rear first, then was shocked as the bed in its infinite softness engulfed her. "Help." Was her feeble cry.

Struggling for her life in an epic battle against her bed, she flailed to escape the iron, or rather, cotton fist of the bed's absolute fluffy rule. Thinking that compressing the cotton will make it less soft, Catra fiercely slapped against the bed. What she didn't account for was her claws, which mortally wounded the bed, emptying it of its innards almost instantly. The torrent of cotton and feather drove Catra out of the room and into the halls. Catra, way out of her depth, decided to visit Glimmer for help. Her sassy self would never let Catra live it down, but at least she would get something better than the supposed 'bed'. On her way, she was met with an angelic presence. Angella, with a ball of light lighting her up… and a picture, too?

“Ma'am." Catra was good at playing it cool. "I was just visiting Glimmer." Catra thought she would have lots of occasions to sneak out, watch the scenery alone in the balcony, stuff like that; it would be useful for her to know why the queen was up so late and when she will stay up. "If I may, what are you doing so late, Your Majesty?"

“When I feel the cares of the day weighing upon me, I come here.” Catra noticed the queen looking at a mural of a man, and she had nothing else to say, so she asked the identity of said man. “Who is that?” “King Micah. My husband. He built the Rebellion with me. And he was one of the first casualties of the Horde.” She shouldn’t have asked. Catra had no words to say without making the situation worse, so she shut up. “Catra. My daughter believes you can help us. Glimmer has vouched for you despite your background. And because I greatly love my daughter, I’m willing to give you a chance.” Crushing the ball of light in her fist, she continued on a more threatening tone, “Do not disappoint her.” Catra laughed. It seems like she didn’t escape some things, like favoritism. “What’s so funny?” “Of course I’m not gonna betray you. Where am I gonna go then, the Horde? Whose invasion  _ I _ thwarted? Don’t worry, queen sparkles. I couldn’t if I wanted to.” She laughed it off, but she was unsettled nonetheless. It seemed like the queen didn’t share Sparkles’ naivety or enthusiasm, which may become a problem in the future.

When Glimmer woke up from her sweet, sweet slumber, she could see another body curled up at her feet. Catra. “Aaahhhh!” “ _ Mrrroooww! _ ” Glimmer and Catra both screamed, Glimmer backing up until she fell, teleporting to the ground to soften her fall. “Sparkles, you okay?” “What are you doing in here?” She could not fathom how Catra managed to get on her bed. “It’s none of your business.” Looking at the blush on Catra’s face, Glimmer put two and two together. “Do you have trouble sleeping alone? You, Catra of all people?” “I-shut up!” Catra fiercely threw everything her hands could reach to Glimmer, only stopping when her ammunitions were depleted. “Oh, by the way, your mom doesn’t like me.” “What? My mom loves you.” “She loves She-Ra.” Glimmer teleported back to the bed. “Mom can be a little intense, heh.” Then she put her hand on Catra’s back, a big mistake. “I don’t need your comfort!” She snapped. “Fine! Just come to the weekly meeting of the Rebellion Generals, okay? That was part of  _ your _ deal.” Then she teleported away again.

Catra arrived a bit late, not because she forgot about the time, but to poke at the boundaries of the Rebellion, how much they will tolerate, et cetera. Bow and Glimmer pointed at the seat she was meant to sit in, but she decided to pick her own seat. The second fanciest one, figuring the fanciest one was the queen’s. She was scared of the queen and she didn’t want to anger her. Which she did, anyways, when it was revealed that the chair Catra was lounging in was the queen’s late husband’s. “Sorry, first day. Won’t happen again.” She didn’t say it out loud, but she was extremely grateful to Glimmer for saving her from the queen’s wrath. 

Gently touching the chair in remembrance of her husband, she got to her point. “I’ve asked you here because I received a distress call from Princess Perfuma. The Horde is laying siege to her kingdom. She’s asking Bright Moon for assistance. General?” the general, with the cool scar and hairstyle, made her report. “Perfuma’s kingdom, Plumeria, is located near the front lines. The Horde has set up camp in her territory, cutting off their main supply route.” “Bright Moon will provide food and humanitarian aid.” “Ooh, ooh, ooh, I have a better idea. We-” Glimmer’s enthusiasm was shot down quickly. “Fight the Horde? Glimmer, you propose this idea every meeting.” “No! I was… going to say ‘let’s use aggressive fist-to-face sparkles!’” Catra almost bursted out with laughter. “I said, no, Glimmer. Now sit down.” But she agreed with Glimmer. The Horde’s grip weakening on the kingdoms meant more chance for the Rebellion to survive. “You should send me, Spar-Glimmer, and Bow to lead the relief mission. I’ll be going as She-Ra, of course. I’ll make sure everyone gets there safely and protect Bow and Glimmer when-if the Horde attacks. I won’t disappoint you.” Angella raised her eyebrow, thinking, then reluctantly agreed. “Very well. You will deliver food and supplies to Plumeria. And under no circumstances will you engage the Horde. You leave at dawn.”

Meanwhile, at the training area of the Fright Zone, Kyle’s screams of surrender filled the place. “I give up, I give up!” The cadet trio, Lonnie, Rogelio, and Kyle, were struggling against the training bot. Kyle was rendered helpless as the robot lifted him up by his shirt, and Lonnie was bashing away at the bot to no avail. Rogelio was making a tactical retreat to not get struck by its metal legs, which, to even one as sturdy as Rogelio, would injure him, putting him out of commission. Lonnie jumped off the robot, trying to give orders, but she just weren’t good at it. “Quit playing around, Kyle! Where’s Adora? She’s supposed to be here.” “I’m here! Just took a few lessons from Shadow Weaver!” Adora ran to her squad, huffing and puffing. “All right, let’s get this over with. Rogelio, get Kyle off the robot! Lonnie, you distract it while Rogelio gets Kyle off. Let’s go!” The training had gone smoothly, and it was all thanks to Adora. She was a brilliant tactician, was quick on her feet, and she knew her squad’s strength and weaknesses. The four were celebrating their victory with the gray ration bars Adora brought them, when a dark presence approached them. “Adora. It is time for another lesson. Or have you forgotten?” Adora tensed up. “No, Shadow Weaver. We were celebrating another training done sub 5 minutes.” “These cadets only hold you back, Adora. Now, follow me.” “Yes, Shadow Weaver.” Adora’s voice was dejected. Lonnie always pitied Catra for Shadow Weaver hating her for the littlest things, but Adora was a whole different thing. She had felt disconnected from her when she was rambling on about Shadow Weaver, envied her when she was rewarded with more things, and she felt sorry when Adora was having fun, only for it to stop when Shadow Weaver took her away for ‘lessons’, to do Hordak-knows-what. She just hoped Adora wouldn’t turn out like Shadow Weaver.

Plumeria was a lot less vibrant than Glimmer expected. In fact, the whole landscape seemed to be slowly withering away, save for the tree with a big gem embedded on it. At least the children were having fun. “Wow. Mom didn’t say anything about all the plants dying.” “Well, your mom doesn’t really get out much, does she?” Catra joked from an unseen place. “Catra!” “I agree with Catra. And by that I mean I don’t think she knows. Not that she doesn’t get out much.” ‘Bow just had to pick Catra’s side, didn’t he?’ Glimmer thought. ‘Where is Catra, anyways?’ Bow asked the same thing. Catra appeared from behind one of the trees, lifting a supply wagon by herself. "Are you going to be She-Ra the entire time we're here?" Glimmer asked. “Your mom’s orders, Sparkles. Besides, they’ll like me better as She-Ra. Could Catra do this?” With a mighty jump, she joined her fellow rebels. Then she did some lifting with the humanitarian aid. “Hmm, yep. Very useful to our mission.” Glimmer snarked. With the two busy, Bow was the first to notice the plume of smoke. “Hey guys? What is that?” “Must be coming from the Horde camp nearby.” Catra guessed. 

“You’re here!” An excited voice greeted She-Ra. It was Perfuma, princess of Plumeria. “Princess Perfuma. I’m Commander Glimmer of-.” Catra scoffed. Such nepotism wouldn’t be allowed in the Horde, at least. Glimmer couldn’t finish her sentence as her hand, extended for a handshake, was instead met with a bouquet, seemingly created from thin air. Bow got a garland. “Ooh. I get a hat!” And finally, Perfuma noticed She-Ra, and the sight of her filled her with hope and joy. With a gasp, she recognized the warrior of legend. “Oh my, everyone, come quick! It’s- oh, it’s- it’s-” “She-Ra!” Catra yelled confidently. The crowd around them surrounded the blonde warrior, amazed at her strength and physique. “Look! The universe has heard our pleas and sent the legendary She-Ra to help us save our home. Though I didn’t know She-Ra was so...catlike.” Bow gave her an approving thumbs up from behind the crowd. Putting the humanitarian aid down, Catra tried to make an inspirational speech. However, she was no eloquent speaker. “Uh… We came to help with the blockade! We brought food and...” Bow silently mouthed ‘supplies’. “Apply? Supplies! Yes, supplies.” Fortunately for her, the people of Plumeria were easy to please. Tears of various positive emotions flowing down her face, Perfuma gave She-Ra a proper greeting. “Welcome to Plumeria, She-Ra.”

“Sparkles, help!” Catra shouted as she was surrounded by the people of Plumeria. Glimmer gave her an approving thumbs up. “Come with me, I’ll show you around. You’re gonna love it!” Plumeria said. She-Ra followed her, a baby still dangling from her tail. The baby was promptly returned by Bow. “Our people have lived here in tranquility for thousands of years. We’re known for our beautiful flowers, our majestic trees.” Catra didn’t know what the Horde saw in this kingdom, to waste manpower and resources in sieging this kingdom. This place looked frankly useless. “And this is the Heart-Blossom, the center of our kingdom, and the source of all my magical powers!” “Is this tree sapping the other plants?” Catra blurted. “No! We’re going through a little rough patch, but I’m sure the universe will right itself soon.” “Everything is dead or dying.” Glimmer commented. Catra agreed. “Look, the blight hit right after the Horde arrived. We don’t know why, and nothing I do stops it.” Perfuma said, in a tone that was less preppy than the other lines she said. Then the preppyness returned. “But we don’t dwell on the negative. Look at the positive. The Heart-Blossom’s still healthy, and the She-Ra is here, and the celebrations are about to begin.” “Celebrations? Aah!” Perfuma dragged She-Ra to the celebrations. 

Meanwhile, Shadow Weaver was on the Black Garnet chamber, almost out of energy. It seemed as if the Black Garnet was trying to refuse her nowadays. While recharging, a familiar voice rang through the chamber. Hordak. “Shadow Weaver.” “Lord Hordak!” Shadow Weaver was surprised. What reason was there for him to contact her? “You are allocating too much of your time, to a single force captain.” “My lord, Adora will be crucial to the Horde’s-” “Our mission is to kill the Whispering Woods so we can finally march on to Bright Moon. Our mission is to destroy the princesses and their ridiculous Rebellion. You, are distracted, Shadow Weaver.” The audacity of Hordak! Adora had within her more power than anyone else, and she was growing up to be the perfect soldier she envisioned. How dare he? “Our ground troops demand your full attention. The siege on Plumeria has carried on for too long. You will give the order to increase power until victory is achieved.” This already set Shadow Weaver on edge, but what he said next made her furious. “And never forget, I gave you your magical power, and at my slightest whim, I can take it away.” The last words were whispered, as if he was talking to a mere child. “Understand?” “Of course, Lord Hordak.” Her voice was eerily calm and sweet, as if she got his message and accepted it plainly. But her trembling fists gave away her true thoughts. As soon was the transmission was cut, she unleashed her dark powers in anger. She raised Adora to her full potential. And soon, she will replace Hordak. 

Catra was not having a blast. The Plumerians had only subsisted on various plant based foodstuffs; her magicat stomach didn’t like it. She was also covered in flowers, which wasn’t so good considering she seemed to sneeze whenever she was near it. Glimmer would later tease her for being ‘Allergic’. So she found a good reason to refuse food. They  _ were  _ here to share food, not eat it for themselves. “Don’t you need food? We came here to  _ share _ .” Catra made sure to put emphasis on the ‘share’ part. “Nonsense. It is our honor to serve the She-Ra.” At least she was getting appreciated. Catra, after getting some taste of the feeling, couldn’t let go of it. Perfuma checked up on her again. “We are so honored to have you.” Then one of the maids stated the obvious. “Whoa, that’s She-Ra.” “I know,  _ the _ She-Ra, right?” Then running, without a destination in mind, Perfuma said, “I’m so happy that after all these centuries of being gone, you’ve finally returned.” To someone who was holding a bowl of party lettuce, she whispered “I said, break out the party kale.” Catra didn’t like that. Not that she knew what ‘kale’ was, but she was sure it was one of the ‘vegetable’ thing. “Uh, I don’t need any kale!” “And at our hour of greatest need, just like in the stories.” Perfuma continued. “What stories?” Catra inquired. “The stories we’ve been telling for thousands of years. She-Ra, The Warrior Who Tamed The Beasts Of Beast Island With A Single Word.” Glimmer saw Catra being cocky, and she didn’t like that. “That’s nothing. What about the time She-Ra defeated a squad of Horde soldiers on a flying panther? Or the time she saved Thaymor from a legion of Horde soldiers? Or-or the time she borrowed my toothbrush, and used it to defeat an army of Horde soldiers?” Bow was excited though. He was being supportive! He thought. “Actually, it was two, Arrow Boy.” Catra played along, because she liked the positive attention. “You’re right! It was two armies!” 

Glimmer was sick of this. Since Catra got here, she’d been inflating her ego faster than Spinerella could inflate a balloon. She kinda hoped that she would get put in her place. Unfortunately, that wish came true. After a few waves of admirers, one of which gifting her something called a ‘windchime’, Perfuma came to her side and revealed her true expectations. “We’re so excited for you to heal our land and bring all the plants back to life. Will you be doing it before the drum circle or after?” Catra almost froze. “You want me to heal your land?” “Yes! Like in the ancient story,” Catra rolled her eyes. “She-Ra Heals The Forest And Brings The Trees Back To Life.” ‘That’s an awfully specific story,’ Catra thought. Glimmer saw an opportunity. “I’ve seen her do way weirder stuff. This’ll be a snap. Right, She-Ra?” “Uh, yes. But a true healer heals the source, not the symptoms. And the smoke seems suspicious.” The phrase ‘heals the source, not the symptoms’ was a phrase she was familiar with. 

It was one of Shadow Weaver’s death threats to Catra whenever Adora misbehaved. 

“The Horde’s up to something big. We should look into it.” “We?” Perfuma asked, as if the land that was being poisoned wasn’t her kingdom. “This is my power. I grow plants. We’re not strong enough to go up against the Horde. All we want is to live peacefully in our ancestral home.” Bow, somehow not reading the atmosphere despite the caring man he was, continued one of the tall tales about She-Ra. “And then, She-Ra saved the day once again!” At least the kids loved the story. “We need you, She-Ra.” Everyone was looking up to her. She wanted to run. She wanted to help. She couldn’t decide. It seemed to happen more often nowadays. Before, she definitely would have run; now, she wasn’t sure. Glimmer was right. She’d turned a panther into a horned, winged, big flying cat. She could definitely rejuvenate some dying tree, right? But she needed time to practice. “She-Ra, She-Ra, She-Ra, She-Ra!” “I can heal. I just need time to prepare. Just give me a sec with Bow and Glimmer for a moment.” 

“I can’t heal.” Bow’s expression was that of genuine shock, as opposed to Glimmer’s, which was that of a fake shock. “But the stories say you have healing powers.” Bow said. “Well, according to those stories, I fought the Mantisaur. Have you idiots heard of it? Because I didn’t.” “Why don’t you concentrate really hard? You are the mighty She-Ra, after all.” “Shut up, Sparkles.” But it did seem like a good idea. So she concentrated, her body glowing, her hair beginning to float, surrounded by a bright aura. And with a mighty yell, she unleashed her power! Which punched a hole in an unfortunate tree. “I killed that tree, didn’t I?” “Uhh… Probably.” Bow was being nice, he was 90 percent sure the tree was dead. “Let me try again.” Again, concentrating her power, this time, focusing it to the tip of her sword, she manifested the power! Which became a magic blast, one which the Rebels barely dodged. “Magic blast. Also not healing.” Glimmer quipped. “I’ll get it this time.” This time, focusing on less destructive things, which was hard for Catra, she fired again! This time, the magic blast hit a lizard, which promptly grew wings and a horn. The lizard briefly went through an identity crisis, wondering if it was a dragon or a horned lizard. “Magical transformation?” “Wait. Is that what happened to the panther?” Catra scratched a tree in frustration, felling the withered tree and putting out of its misery. However, the tree falling created a destructive chain of events which would later lead to a major geological event. “It’s okay. You’ll get it soon!” “Shut up! You’re not the one who’s expected to heal the stupid tree in a few minutes! I thought She-Ra could fix everything, but she’s useless!” 

Then, an explosion rocked the ground around them. Bow’s garland disintegrated. “My hat!” Then Perfuma came rushing in, both hands stretched out to signal distress. “She-Ra! Come quickly! Something absolutely terrible has happened!”

The tree the Heart-Blossom has been embedded in was in a mess. Its foliage was falling off like snow in a blizzard, and its veins were tainted with some kind of poison. “The Heart-Blossom is dying. Please, She-Ra, heal our land.” To Bow and Glimmer’s approval, she did her best. She didn’t destroy anything. However, she also turned back into Catra. Catra screamed in frustration.“I don’t know how to heal!” The crowd, apparently with no object permanence whatsoever, didn’t recognize the magicat as She-Ra. “Who are you? Where’s She-Ra?” “I was chosen to carry She-Ra’s sword! But screw it. I shouldn’t have tried.” Then Catra ran away. "Catra, wait!" Glimmer teleported after her. Bow remained calming the crowd down. "She-Ra can still fight against the Horde! When we drive the Horde out of Plumeria, the Heart-Blossom will be fine again!" Bow said faux-excitedly. This led to more disgruntled reactions, to the point Perfuma had to intervene. "It will be all right, I promise. We'll rebuild. We have to believe the universe will repay the Horde for their evil deeds eventually." 'Great. Now I have to convince them to not run away as well.' Bow thought, and continued his improv speech.

Glimmer found Catra sulking behind a log. "Hey, Catra..." "Go away! I know you wanted this to happen!" “Catra!” Glimmer snapped. “You can’t heal. So what? You can still help. The Horde is poisoning the land, but you can stop it! So stop sulking!” Catra gave her a glare. Glimmer flinched, but recovered and declared, “So, are you gonna help? Or am I gonna have to do this with just Bow?” This wake-up slap of a pep talk got the job done. Catra was mad, but the right kind of mad. “Screw you, Sparkles.” She said, smirking.

Bow was frantically trying to keep the Plumerians from evacuating the area. He was just about to give up when Catra and Glimmer made her grand entrance. “All right losers, I’ll help-by defeating the Horde here!” Catra was met by murmurs, of her bad manners and her aversion to pacifism. Glimmer intervened. “You want She-Ra to fix everything, but you won’t even try to save yourselves? At least Catra’s trying.” Perfuma took that as ‘She-Ra can’t save the tree’. “If She-Ra can’t save us, no one can. Right now, we just need to make sure our people are safe. We leave today.” Catra growled, then took Glimmer and Bow off to the Horde Camp. “We’re saving you, whether you like it or not. Deal with it!”

Catra was in a standard Horde grunt uniform, which was ironic considering she never wore it during her time as a cadet of the Horde. Scouting around, she gave the all clear signal, letting the three of them run from cover to cover. 

“Okay, we need to find the machine. Which I guess is the source of the smoke?”

“And?” Glimmer asked. “Shouldn’t we know more about the Horde camp before we do the actual destroying?” “I dunno. Memorizing Horde manuals were always Adora’s kind of thing.” “Then were you the ‘Go with the Flow’ Kind of person?” Bow asked. “No, I was ‘slack around until Adora handles it’ kind of person.” Looking at their horrified reactions, she added “But I think the guards will change shifts, and that’s our chance.” “How do we know when the guards change shifts?” Glimmer asked. “We don’t. We walk in early, and the guards will think we’re suckers and change shifts anyways.”

“Shift change!” Bow said in his squeaky voice, at Catra’s insistence. The voice will indicate our ‘green’ status, she said. The three previous guards, though realizing the three inadequate guards were a good 5 minutes too early, disregarded it as nothing more than rookies, and took their chance at 5 more minutes of playing Hordak Hold’em. The machine was even more sinister than was initially thought. There were pipes, which hooked up poison to the Heart-Blossom tree. Glimmer gasped in shock. “You were right. The Horde is poisoning the land.” A guard interrupted her. “Hey! What are you doing here?” Catra smoothly replied “Safeguard the machine. Force Captain’s orders.” It didn’t work. “Yeah, right. This project is under Shadow Weaver’s direct control! Hands up!” “Catra, what do we do?” Catra was already attacking the guard, with a low sweep. “Run!” 

Meanwhile, Perfuma was deep in thought. Catra, though short tempered and rude, was trying her best at helping them, first by attempting to heal the tree, and then going off to attack a Horde camp with just the three of them. Then, she came to a decision when one of the kids asked, “Are you gonna help She-Ra?” ‘This is our home, and we can’t let her do this alone!’ Perfuma thought, a thought she translated into action. “Everyone, She-Ra and our friends from Bright Moon are risking their lives to protect us from the Horde. We need to help them! Get the war-chimes, we march!”

The rebels were running for their lives, dodging stun baton lasers which were probably set to lethal. They managed to run behind the building, out of breath, when they were caught up to by the guards anyways. Catra thought about using the sword, but decided against it as sudden movement would mean sudden death by laser. Catra put her hands up in surrender, and urged the two rebels, still belligerent, to do the same. Then the horns of war echoed. 

Princess Perfuma, surfing on a torrent of vines, broke through the barricades, with her fellow Plumerians. While the ragtag Plumerians were fighting resourcefully with what they got, Catra found a good isolated corner to turn into She-ra. Finding the poisoning machine again, she drove her sword through it, hoping to destroy it. What the Sword did, however, was different. It surrounded the tree’s roots with its energy, and purged the roots of the poison. This rejuvenated Plumeria and the Heart-Blossom, unleashing Perfuma’s true power as overgrowth made short work of the remaining Horde soldiers. 

Waving them a goodbye, Perfuma hugged She-Ra. “You inspired us to save ourselves. How can we ever repay you?” Glimmer stepped forward. “Join the Rebellion and help me reform the Princess Alliance.” “Umm, are you sure? Didn’t that go horribly the first time?” “It went horribly for our parents.” Glimmer made a distinction. “But we have a chance to do it right. We’re clearly stronger together. Think what all the princesses united could do.” Perfuma thought of her offer for a moment. Then, a question. “Would I get to hit more people with flowers?” She asked, most gently. “Absolutely.” “Then you have a deal!” Turning to the people, Perfuma made a declaration of her allegiance. “Hey, everyone! Look at us. We’re mighty rebels now!”

Later, at the Fright Zone, Adora was called to the Black Garnet room. “Adora, see how Catra attacked the camp as She-Ra. This was brought to me by retreating soldiers.” Adora was at awe of She-Ra’s strength, which was the reaction she wanted. “It will be hard for you to bring the Catra in her back without her injuring you. Are you sure you can handle her?” “Yes, Shadow Weaver!” “Good. Because until Catra is no longer She-Ra, it will be your mission to deal with her.” Shadow Weaver was surprised that an unmotivated, useless brat like her could actually be a liability to the Horde. And what better tool to get rid of her than her childhood friend? By doing so, she could also make Hordak favor her enough for her to build up her own power base. Hordak was losing touch, Shadow Weaver has made sure of it by taking over every duty he had, making every report to Hordak filter through Shadow Weaver. And though Shadow Weaver did not have the leadership required, only the ability to instill fear, she was sure she could set up Adora as the leader of the Horde while she controlled her, essentially taking control. She continued. “But fear not. To ensure success, no matter where Catra goes, no matter how long it takes, my shadow spies will find her.” Adora clenched her everything in fear. “Find her and bring her here!” Adora was afraid, but she was brave enough to ask her a question. “Shadow Weaver, you won’t hurt Catra once she comes back, right?” Shadow Weaver did her best to make a sweet, soothing voice. “Of course. Officially, she will be punished, but it will be done by her Force Captain.” “Me?!” “Yes, the punishment will be whatever the Force Captain sees fit. If said punishment was double guard shifts, no one could object.” Adora smiled in the most innocent way possible. “Thank you, Shadow Weaver!” “Yes, Adora, now prepare for Force Captain Orientation. It would be very bad for you to be late, in front of all the others.” Adora saluted, then giddily marched to Force Captain meeting room. Of course, Shadow Weaver’s plan wasn’t so easy on Catra as she led her to believe. Her punishment would be more… esoteric.

Adora was punctual as always, and was actually a bit early to Force Captain Orientation. The room was empty save for a rectangular table, some chairs with names on each seat, and some refreshments(gray ration bars and water). Adora found her seat near the door. After a long time of waiting, no one else, not even the Orientation Instructor didn’t arrive on time. And a lot of Force Captains were absent- Force Captain Vultak, Leech, and Scorpia were absent, apparently on missions. Despite their intimidating, animal syncretic appearances, they were mostly friendly to Adora. Especially Force Captain Mantenna, who, despite bumbling around, was friendly to her, making an effort to befriend her. The gist of the Orientation was quite simple; the Force Captains were Hordak’s attempt at counteracting the power of the princesses. So each Force Captain was supposed a match for tens of ordinary soldiers, or a Princess with powers. They also led a squad of lieutenants (which, in Adora’s case, would be Kyle, Lonnie, and Rogelio.) and led a strike force of their own. It also provided her with information about the failed siege on Plumeria, the Salinean Sea Gate, and the upcoming Princess Prom. But most important, She-Ra. 

But the information on She-Ra, Adora was to provide. “Me? But I was just made a Force Captain!” Octavia nudged her. “Come on, Adora, you know better than anyone about that flee-mangled brat.” Holding back her anger, she stepped out to the front and gave all the information about Catra that she knew. “Well, Before turning into She-Ra, Catra was an extremely resourceful cadet-” Force Captain Grizzlor interrupted her. “Her records say otherwise. And besides, She wasn’t that hard to face as She-Ra. The cat with her, now that’s a problem.” The scars on his face was there to back his claims on the panther’s ferocity. “She had never had the drive to achieve, but that’s changed somehow. On her way to retrieve the Sword for the Horde, Catra was captured and subsequently brainwashed by the rebels.” A wave of laughter erupted. “Adora, Princesses can’t brainwash people. If they could, most of us would be fighting  _ their  _ fights! Catra betrayed the Horde. Expected just as much from that brat.” But Catra wouldn’t hurt her. It was their promise to look out for each other, against the world. She would never break that promise. “Uh, yes. It’s very likely the Sword was the main factor in the brainwashing, not the princesses. Before leaving the Horde, Catra complained of ‘visions’ plaguing her mind.” ‘And I should have helped her,’ she thought to herself. “As such, it would be the best course of action to capture her alive, and break the hold the princesses have on her.” “More like  _ your  _ best course of action.” Octavia was mad, partly because of Adora’s partialness, and partly because she was partial toward the person who scratched her eye out. “I know you were close with her, but this kind of stuff is not fit for a Force Captain. Not even one favored by Shadow Weaver.” The mention of her name silenced the room. “She-Ra is a vital part of the Rebellion now, and it would be wise to extract the information out of her.” Octavia rolled her remaining eye. “Whatever you say, Force Captain. Just don’t let her give you another scar.” She said, pointing at Adora’s new scar from Thaymor; a scratch from her left eyebrow to her nose. “Or you might end up having matching eye patches with me.”

At Bright Moon, Catra opened the door to be greeted by Bow and Glimmer, laying down sleeping bags. “What is this?” Catra was not amused. “Since you’ve never slept in a room by yourself before, Bow and I thought we’d throw a sleepover, then you won’t feel so alone.” “Get. Out.” Catra was definitely not amused. “Come on, this will be fun! We can mess with the guards if we want! What’ll they do? imprison us?” Glimmer insisted. It felt like she was betraying Adora by being with ‘new friends’, having fun. So she insisted, too. “Get out!” Discouraged, Bow and Glimmer headed out. Catra felt kinda guilty. But she was Adora’s, and Adora hers. It had been that way, and it would stay that way. But then, Adora chose to leave her and stay in the Horde. Surely she could spend a night with these two idiots who helped her feel good about herself, feel like life was more than just survival. “Wait!” Glimmer and Bow immediately turned back, excited again. “We’re doing it?” “...Yes.” Throwing down the sleeping bags and getting the pillows ready again, Bow explained how this was going to be the norm for a bit since Glimmer was grounded for disobeying orders. This struck a nerve with Catra, whose punishments for disobeying were much severe. But she tried to show no discomfort. Not that Bow didn’t notice. “Catra, are you okay?” “Yes. Just no touchy-feely stuff, or this night will be your last.” Then she struck Bow with her pillow. Bow realized this girl had issues, but decided they would sort it out later. “Well, you’re here now, with the Best Friend Squad! And we’re having a pillow fight!” Catra glared. “No.” Glimmer made another suggestion. “I prefer ‘The Glimmer Group’.” “Nah. We’re the Best Friend Squad.” And soon. the three were soon off to sleep, another peaceful night on Bright Moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope Glimmer doing her own take at a pep talk to motivate Catra wasn't really that implausible.  
> Also, I looked up all the villain names from the original She-Ra. Hopefully Horde internal mechanics will be interesting to y'all.  
> Kudos and comments(including constructive criticism) appreciated.


	5. Episode 5. The Sea Gate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra fails to stay out of water.
> 
> Adora begs and pleads.
> 
> Mermista meets her equal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Might have to post weekly instead of bi-weekly, due to me having finals upcoming. Kudos and Comments appreciated.

It was one of the weekly meetings at the Rebellion, though most of the seats were still vacant. “Council, we’re looking for plans to strengthen our defenses against the Horde. Who would like to go first?” Glimmer, always the eager one, went first. “Me, me, me. Me. Me, me.” Angella made a new requirement. “Who besides Glimmer wants to go first?” Glimmer stood up. “Mom-uh, Your Majesty. You should let me, Bow, and Adora continue our princess recruitment mission. If we can form a new Princess Alliance, the Rebellion would actually stand a chance for once.” “The princesses withdrew from the last alliance. They chose to focus on protecting their own lands.” “So, are we supposed to just give up? Please, let me try. All I’m proposing is a diplomatic mission.” Catra and Bow was just staring back on forth between mother and daughter, too scared to intervene. Though Catra wasn’t really fond of authority figures, there were two she feared; Shadow Weaver, and Angella. She knew now that Angella was fundamentally different from Shadow Weaver, and was capable of love and empathy. But her threat still chilled her to the bone every time she thought about it.

“So, what do you propose?” “Anyone approaching Bright Moon by sea needs to pass through the Salineas Sea Gate. It’s controlled by Princess Mermista now that her father’s retired. With her on our side, the Rebellion could control the seas. We need this alliance with her, Mom.” Catra’s eyes widened. Were they going to a seaside town? With  _ water _ ? “The journey is treacherous, Glimmer. I’m not sure.” “Yeah, Sparkles, I’m not sure about this one.” Catra quickly added. “Don’t worry, Mom. With She-Ra, we can conquer anything.” “I’m not going.” Catra bluntly shut her down. It took a second for Glimmer to figure out why. “Catra, you’re not afraid of water, are you?” Catra lied the best she could, but Glimmer jumped to the (right) conclusion. “Catra’s afraid of water, Catra’s afraid of water-” She chanted in a sing-song voice. “Shut up! Fine, I’m going with you.  _ If  _ you can find a boat.” Bow whispered something to her. “And an experienced sea captain.” Catra added. “Very well.” Angella said, their interaction amusing her. “Yes!” Glimmer teleported to hug Angella and give her a quick smooch. “I mean it, Glimmer. No violence, and no collateral damage.” “Thanksmomyouwon’tregretit” Glimmer barely listened to Angella, and teleported her two friends away. Angella sighed. What are they going to get themselves into this time?

The tavern in Seaworthy was a mess. It almost reminded her of the Horde Barracks, when the Force Captains or Shadow Weaver weren’t around. Booze(contraband in the Horde), brawls, and shady deals. Bow was very excited about the prospect of pirates. “This is so cool. Seaworthy is just like I imagined it. Everyone here looks like a pirate.” Glimmer took it down a notch. “Focus, Bow. We’re just here to find a sea captain.” “No pirates?” “No pirates.” “Arr.” Bow was disappointed. Catra didn’t know what a pirate was, but she imagined they would be unruly, dirty, and prone to violence. They would be just like her. The problem was, she wouldn't trust herself to steer a ship, let alone a person like herself that was not her. “I don’t think any of these morons can sail a ship safely. Let’s go home now and call it a day.” Glimmer shot her a look, and then disturbed a bartender. “Excuse me,” Glimmer awkwardly chuckled, “Umm, we’re looking for a sea captain to take us to Salineas.” The bartender pointed to a table, where a fish-man was losing in arm wrestling with some person. 

“I won, drinks all around! Put it on my friend here’s tab.” The three rebels walked in hesitantly. “Uh, hi. We were told you were a sea captain?” “I am the one and only Sea Hawk.” With only one line, he gave Catra the worst first impression possible. Standing up at the table proudly, he asked “Has my reputation preceded me?” “Your name is Sea Hawk?” Bow asked, in awe. “Your name is Sea Hawk?” Catra asked, deadpan. “That’s the coolest name I’ve ever heard!” “That’s the dumbest name I’ve ever heard!” Glimmer started the negotiations. The negotiation was short, and it was decided that Catra would arm wrestle Sea Hawk for free passage into Salineas. Catra thought that Sea Hawk ‘running the 50 click Galebreath Gauntlet in 20 clicks’ , ‘maneuvering the Serpentine with not a chip in the paint’, ‘siren seducing shanties’ was not true at all, or useful. She absolutely hated Sea Hawk. The mustache was a bit shiny though. But Catra didn’t care about mustaches, she needed a sea captain who could get them to Salineas as safe as they could. Speaking of which, Catra was also not looking forward to meeting Mermista. The fact that Sea Hawk called Mermista ‘close’ said enough about her personality. Sea Hawk, having underestimated Catra and her wiry build, was utterly defeated at arm wrestling. Catra had a real bad feeling about this whole Salineas thing, especially the journey. ‘At least Sparkles shares the sentiment.’ She thought. 

The shadow spy found Catra, and Adora was promptly notified by Shadow Weaver. “Catra is in Seaworthy. I’m giving you another chance to bring her back.” “Yes, Shadow Weaver. I won’t fail you.” “Not so fast. You’re not going alone. You’ll be joined by Force Captain Scorpia.” Adora looked behind to see an intimidating woman, with pincers for hands, staring at her. “Blondie!” “Huh?” “Just so you know, I’m a hugger.” “What?” She could almost feel herself be crushed by Scorpia’s vice grip. “I don’t think I’ll need help, Shadow Weaver.” “Scorpia will see that your feelings for her won’t compromise the mission.” “Yes, Shadow Weaver.”

Adora didn’t like the boat they were on. It was rusty, creaky, and she could hear the engine sputtering every once in a while. Scorpia seemed to be okay, though. “Oh, I just love boats. Don’t you? Wind in your hair, ocean on every side, miles and miles from the nearest dry land, watery death awaiting at the slightest mishap. Man, that’s what I call living.” Adora wasn’t seasick, but Scorpia gave her a reason to be afraid, and her face was starting to pale. Scorpia noticed this, and thought Adora was seasick. “Aw, you’re seasick?” Picking up Adora in a bridal pose, she said to her “Just focus on me, okay? It’ll help.” “Thanks, but I’m not seasick.” She let herself go, then ran to the front of the ship where Lonnie, Kyle, and Rogelio was playing a game where they had to stack a tiny ball over a equally tiny rod. “Guys, tell her I’m not seasick!” Lonnie, confusion on her face, soon realized the situation. Her expression twisted into a grin. “I dunno, Adora. You seem pretty  _ unwell _ .” That was all the permission Scorpia needed, taking Adora away. “Lonnie, you’re on toilet duty this week for this!” She said as she was taken away. Lonnie laughed it away, knowing Adora wasn’t that petty. Meanwhile, Kyle finally succeeded at stacking the ball. “Haha! I did it!” His joy was ruined when Lonnie batted it away. “Aww.”

Sea Hawk was showing the Rebels around the Dragon’s Daughter III. Apparently, I and II both went down in flames of his own doing, which said multitudes about the pirate’s responsibleness. The more time Catra spent with the sea captain, the more she hated him. If the fact she was on a ship wasn’t enough, she had to stand this dumb pirate. “I hate that guy.” She groaned to Glimmer. She hated water, whether she was surrounded by it, or if there was a boat between her and the water. “He just needs to get us there.” Then, Sea Hawk suddenly had the audacity to tell them to work. “You’ll of course be expected to earn your keep by helping out around the ship. Never fear, I’ll teach you everything you need to know  _ in shanty form _ .” He barely dodged Catra lunging at him. “No shanties!” “You remind me of my dearest Mermista! I made a shanty about-” “No. Shanties.” Turning his attention elsewhere, he saw Bow securing the ropes of the mainsail. “What are you doing?” “I saw your mainsail wasn’t secured, so I fixed it.” “Tying proper knots is a task that takes years to master. You did this just now?” Sea Hawk asked, impressed. “Yes.” ‘Sea Hawk is impressed with my knots. This is the best day of my life!’ Bow was flustered. Bow did have a thing for pirates, after all. “Excellent work, even if it is just beginner’s luck.” Sea Hawk praised Bow. “We’ll also need to set a lookout.” Seeing that Glimmer was idle, he approached her. “Come on, Sparkle, we’ll sing a shanty duet and I’ll show you how to climb the ratlines. Oh-” Glimmer teleported to the mast, if only to escape Sea Hawk. 

Catra returned to Sea Hawk's side. “I unfurled the small sail thing.” Catra casually said. “By yourself? Not even a sailor as experienced as me could do that.” What he didn’t know, however, was that Catra cut the ropes to unfurl the jib. There would be no re-furling of the jib. “So, I’m better than you at this?” Catra cackled. Glimmer teleported back to add insult to injury. “And the name is Glimmer.” “Well, you are a strangely overqualified crew. What do you even need old Sea Hawk for?” he asked, secretly wanting some flattering answer. “Your map?” Glimmer shot his hopes down. Dejected, he reached into his pockets, pulled a map out, and handed it to Glimmer. "Can we focus on the super important mission here? More sailing, less shanty-ing." The phrase 'super important mission' rejuvenated Sea Hawk's enthusiasm. "Of course, Shimmer! A top secret mission from the queen. I'll get you there straight away. I'm as excited to see my dearest Mermista as I know she is to see me." "My name is Glimmer!" Sea Hawk ignored it, and went on a Shanty while Catra was resting in the quarters below deck. 

"I am Sea Hawk, I am, I am.” Then he paused his shanty, walked up to one of the sails, and casually cut it open with his laser rapier. “If you’re looking for adventure, I am your man. If you want to ride on the waves of deepest blue, through perilous winds then I got you." Catra woke up from the ruckus, checking on the source of the cacophony. “Some say I’m a her-aah!” He was tackled by Catra, claws out, ready to scratch the pirate’s face out for ruining her well earned slumber. Before she could claw his face out, she had to puke due to the neverending rhythm of the waves. 

They were sailing, without shanties, when Glimmer noticed something. The sea near them was full of shipwrecks. “Something’s wrong,” Glimmer said. “According to the map, we’re way off-course.” Sea Hawk was telling tall tales to Bow, who took in the tales like a 5 year old child. Catra was sleeping once again, an escape from the sea sickness. “No! No more made up tales! I spotted a ship graveyard in the distance, and we’re heading straight for it. Is anyone worried about this?”

Then, a crash on starboard. “What was that?” Glimmer asked. “Aha! We’re here!” Sea Hawk declared proudly. Another crash was enough to wake Catra once again, stumbling out to daylight again. “What was that?” “The Serpent of the Sea. I knew he’d be lurking in these waters.” “Wait, you brought us here on purpose?” Glimmer was furious, and Catra would have been, too, if she hadn’t just been woken up by a giant sea beast. “See, I don’t just provide transport. I give you a tale to tell your friends. Come on, crew, we’re in for a harrowing adventure.”

Catra, unfortunately, knew what she had to do. She had to defeat the beast, and quickly, or the ship would sink. Unfortunately, it would mean she would have to get anyways. 

Sea Hawk will die for this. 

“For the Honor of Grayskull!” She transformed, leapt up, landed on the beast’s maw, cracking its teeth, then sunk down. A few moments and underwater flashes later, the floating carcass of the serpent and one angry She-Ra was all that was left. Unfortunately for Sea Hawk, the blonde warrior would prove to be the greater evil. It took a lot of promises to Catra and several unspeakable curses to Sea Hawk before Catra would settle down, Sea Hawk on the verge of crying.

Adora felt the ship stopping and lowering its anchor, and she realized that the ship had reached the Salinean Sea Gate. A technological wonder, albeit a great inconvenience to her right now. But she attended Force Captain Orientation, and she knew the Sea Gate was failing. A few strikes from the heavy artillery on their ship should be enough to tear a hole big enough for them to pass. But the heavy artillery needed time to warm up, so she went down to the control room, and booted it up before heading back up. “All right, we’ll have to wait here until the Energy Cannon is fully online. Meanwhile, would anyone like to play Hordak Hold’em?” And so they waited, playing Hordak Hold’em. Scorpia lost, due to her appendages being unsuitable for holding cards. ‘Maybe I should pick another game next time.’ Adora thought. One more suitable for a person with two ‘fingers’.

When the rebels and Sea Hawk arrived in Salineas, it was ominously empty. What seemed once a very prosperous town, decorated with spiral towers that resembled sea shells, was almost abandoned. “Where is everybody?” “Hmm. Very odd indeed. If I know the Princess Mermista, and I-I do, something’s amiss.” “Thank you, captain obvious.” Catra snarked. “Halt! Halt! Halt, I say.” A desperate voice shouted. The four looked up to the source, a single Salinean guard. He quickly made his way down the watchtower and made their way to them. 

“Halt.” A gasp. Some more panting. “What’s your business in Salineas?” “We’ve come to speak with Princess Mermista.” Sea Hawk interrupted her. “Tell her Sea Hawk is with them. She’ll be excited to see me.” Catra rolled her eyes. This was going to be cringe-worthy, to the point of it being physically painful. 

It was a little cringy, but not in the way she expected. In fact, Catra found the princess of Salineas quite amicable. “Ew, who let him back in here?” With only one line, she gave Catra the best first impression possible. “Princess!” The captain-arsonist said too eagerly. “Oh, it’s been too long! I have dreamed of you night and day since we parted.” Mermista was dismissive. “Uh-huh.” Turning her attention to the rebels, she asked “And who are you?” “My name is Glimmer of Bright Moon. We’ve never met, but our parents fought in the Rebellion together.” “Oh, yeah. I remember hearing about the old Princess Alliance. My dad said it was a total disaster.” Sensing the looming silence, Sea Hawk tried to flatter Mermista once again. “I didn’t think it was possible, but your beauty grows greater with each passing day.” “Will you quit it? I’m trying to talk to my new friend Twinkle.” Catra snickered, and corrected her. “Sparkles.” Mermista didn’t say anything, but she smiled in amusement. “Butler, bring us some hors d’oeuvres.” “Ooh, hors d’oeuvres!” This reminded Mermista of something important. “For everyone but Sea Hawk.” “Your guard is also your butler?” Bow asked. “I’m a  _ little  _ understaffed right now. Everybody fled because the gate is ‘falling apart’ or whatever.” “What?” the rebels shouted in unison. “Yeah, I know, right? It figures I’d inherit a kingdom that’s crumbling, but it’s  _ totally  _ fine. I’m handling it.” Turning to look at the Sea Gate, she continued with a more worried face. “It’s just kind of inconvenient, because the Horde won’t stop attacking us.” 

“Why is the gate falling apart?” Glimmer asked. Catra didn’t think that was a good question. If they knew, surely they would fix it? “I mean, who knows? But it’s getting weaker every day. And if the Horde tries to attack us again, we’re pretty much dead.” Bow thought she reminded her of Catra. Her being detached to things, playing it cool, sarcasm, extreme aversion to preppiness, etc. It was no wonder Catra had a grin on her face, something that would normally be rare from her. “The Horde is the reason we’re here. We want to rebuild the Princess Alliance. None of us stand a chance on our own, but we might be able to stop them together.” Mermista chuckled. “Sure, because that went so great the first time. Why should I help Bright Moon? It’s not like they’ve ever done anything to help us.” “Mermista, if I may. Mmm-” His feeble attempt at a shantie was stopped by Mermista. “No, no more shanties.” “Why did you bring him here? He is so _ annoying! _ ” Mermista almost growled the last word. Catra cackled again. This was comedy gold. “I thought you’d said she liked you. We have a rich, complicated past.” “If by that you mean you got us kicked out of the Dolphin Social for challenging the doorman to a duel, then sure.” “I don’t recall doing that.” Sea Hawk dived into Mermista’s lap. “And that time you set our gondola on fire in the Tunnel of Love.” Then she chucked him to the floor. Sea Hawk, embarrassed, could only chuckle. “That I do recall.”

Catra was looking at some murals on the palace walls, when she realized something. “This is First Ones’ writing.” “And who’s that girl who laughs like a weirdo again? And what is she doing?” “I’m not a weirdo.” Catra realized something. Just because she liked Mermista’s style of dry humor, didn’t mean she would be exempt from it. “Maybe someone with the oversized fork is the weird one here?” Mermista cocked her eyebrows in interest. She had met her equal. After a few minutes of banter later, Bow finally introduced her to Mermista. “That’s Catra. She has a magic sword.” “What does it say?” Glimmer inquired. “Uh, it’s something about the gate. The First Ones built it, and it gets its power from the Salinean Runestone. My guess is, the gate is falling apart because it’s losing its connection to the big pearl there.” “Do you think you can fix it?” “I can try.” Glimmer turned around to face Mermista. “Look, Mermista. You need our help, and we need yours.” “If Catra can repair your gate, will you consider joining us? Please?” Mermista groaned. “Ughhh, I don’t know. I guess… But he has to leave.” “But where am I supposed to go?” Bow now tried to talk to him in the gentlest way possible. “Maybe wait with the boat, okay, buddy? We’ll take care of the gate.”

“I really hope you know what you’re doing, Kitty Cat.” Mermista said to Catra, though her tone was sincere. “Of course, fish face. For the Honor of Grayskull!” She transformed to She-Ra. “Wow! Okay! That’s... different.” “This too much for you, princess?” Catra quipped. Then she got to work. Concentrating on the gate, and herself, she let the energy flow through her to the Sea Gate. “Is it working?” Bow asked, breaking her focus. “This is harder than it looks, okay? Just… let me do my thing.” There were various grunts and moans, eliciting a “Stop, you’re making me-” when she was stopped by an embarrassed Glimmer. She, looking behind the gate, looked at their ride, when she saw that Sea Hawk was trying to leave. “Ugh, hang on.” “Where are you going?” “I’d really appreciate it if you’d stop doing that.” “Are you leaving without us?” “It’s for the best. I’m only getting in your way. It’s time for old Sea Hawk to be where he belongs: Alone.” He continued. “It wasn’t always like this. Where I’m from, I had friends, a crew. Every day an adventure more daring than the last. The fact I kept setting my boats on fire was considered  _ charming _ .” He chuckled, before setting into his melancholy once again. “But here, I can’t even get anyone to take me seriously.” This resonated with Glimmer. “Yeah, I know a little about that. I can’t get anyone to take me seriously either.” “You? But you’re a princess.” “Try being the daughter of an immortal queen, when your powers are  _ sparkles _ .” “Glitter...” “Glimmer.” “We’ve just met, but I can tell you are a brave and powerful soul. Anyone who would underestimate you would live to sorely regret it.” Glimmer felt better, and thought there was depth to Sea Hawk, after all. “Thanks, Sea Hawk. And you know what? You still have friends and a crew. Reporting for duty, captain!”

Bow, bored of watching She-Ra, turned back to find a surprise. A Horde ship on full steam, with a new scary lady at the cannons. The blast tore a hole on the already weakened energy field, the reverbs causing pain to She-Ra. Hearing the familiar hiss, Adora used her binoculars to find Catra, apparently in pain. “Scorpia, they’re forcing her to repair the Sea Gate!” The Sea Gate. According to Force Captain Orientation, behind the Sea Gate was the most brutal regime to ever taint the face of Etheria; the Kingdom of Salineas. Mermista, the current princess, had been having trouble maintaining power on the verge of her kingdom’s collapse, she had heard. And it was all because of her father’s early abdication causing a power vacuum. Adora knew that if she played her cards right, she could liberate Catra  _ and  _ Salineas. But to do that, she would have to hurt Catra. “Keep us going full speed. I’ve got to talk to Catra, get her free.” She said, then headed for the dinghy. 

“They’re heading for the gate!” Bow warned. Mermista did her signature groan. “Just keep them busy, Arrow Boy and Fish Face.” Mermista jumped, her legs turning to fishtail. Bow, using his trick arrow, boarded the Horde vessel, pirate style. Kyle was pinned against the wall before he even had a chance to react. Lonnie, stun baton out, put up quite a fight, parrying and dodging, cartwheeling, before jumping to knock Bow off his feet. Unfortunately, Bow was aiming for the cannon, not Lonnie. Having been shoved by Bow, Lonnie quickly somersaulted to regain balance, when she was caught off guard by the ship shaking. It was Mermista, using her power to shake the ballast water of the ship. Lonnie charged, but this time, Bow was ready for her. Using his bow to disarm and unbalance her, he grabbed Lonnie and threw him at Kyle, who just freed himself from the arrow. The two were knocked off the boat by a stream of water, also Mermista. Bow was appreciating her when a pincer grabbed him. “Oh. You’re big.” “See ya!” Then Scorpia threw Bow offboard, not knowing there was a giant cooling fan which would mince him. “AAAaaaaAaaaAaaaAAaAA-” “Got you!” He was caught mid fall by the one and only Sea Hawk. Meeting at the Dragon’s Daughter III, Glimmer was worried for Bow. “Bow, are you all right?” “That was… amazing!” Sea Hawk took credit where it was due. “Thank you for noticing, Bow. It  _ was _ amazing.” 

The Horde ship wasn’t stopped, however. “Nothing’s slowing them down. What do we do?” Glimmer had a plan. “I think I have a plan. But no one is allowed to tell my mom about this. Sea Hawk, I need your help. I need you to do what you do best.” “What?” “Set. your ship. on  _ fire _ .” This greatly excited the pirate-arsonist. “Yes!” 

The cannon barrages were hurting Catra. It was almost like Shadow Weaver’s binding spell. “Catra! You have to stop this! This is hurting you!” Catra turned right, to see Adora, eyes wet with tears. “Adora. The cannon is what’s hurting me, if you’re not blind.” Adora was biting her lip, in an attempt to hold back tears. “Catra, you have to break free! The Sword, the Sword’s controlling you!” ‘So this is what Adora thought was happening?’ 

Catra cackled. “Oh, Adora. You think just because I made a decision independent from you, meant I was brainwashed?” Adora flinched. This was what Shadow Weaver was talking to her about. Even brainwashed, ‘Catra’ would still retain memories together. Meaning she would know where it would hurt for her. 

“Adora, you’re the one being ‘brainwashed’! The Horde is evil! Come with me, Adora!” With another shot from the cannon, she flinched in pain. 

“Catra! I’ll-I’ll call off the attack, if you just promise to turn back! Please, Catra! The Sword, The Sword's-” “Adora! The Sword has nothing to do with this! Just, listen to me, okay?” Adora, stubborn as she was, still disregarded Catra. She was trying desperately to break the connection, pushing and pulling with all her weight. “Please, Catra. You’re all I’ve got! Please come back with me, then I’ll listen to you! Then we can escape together if you’re right!” She broke down, collapsing against She-Ra’s back, her efforts now completely futile. Then, she was knocked over by a flying body of water, courtesy of Mermista.

“Adora!” Catra yelled. “Was that your girlfriend?” Mermista snarked.

Meanwhile, the Horde trio and Scorpia were heading toward the sea gate in a seemingly unstoppable rush, when a strange ship sailed towards them, spontaneously bursting into flames. Rogelio, with his superior hearing, could hear a faint “Adventure!”. “What the heck?” Lonnie was dumbfounded. Who in their right mind sets fire on their own ship? They had no choice but to jump out, because of inertia. At least they would have a story to tell to the other cadets.

Scorpia picked up a crying Adora, then shot a glare at Catra, in front of the Sea Gate. She didn’t personally know who Catra was, but she had obviously been important to Adora. And Catra just abandoned her. Now, Scorpia was sure Catra wasn’t brainwashed. Never in her numerous Force Captain Orientations did she hear about brainwashing. And it was also very unlikely that the Sword had brainwashing powers, in her opinion. 

Adora was also looking at Catra, and what saddened her the most was that she seemed to be mostly herself, but also kind of… off. She was never the one for physical contact or any kind of intimacy for that matter, but there she was, letting herself be hugged by the two rebels. She had that signature Catra in her that her eyes were rolling the entire time. But Catra’s never been that close to anyone. Except for maybe Adora on good days. Now, Adora had to believe Catra was brainwashed. Or accept that Catra has abandoned her to be with her new friends. 

“What do you know? You actually fixed it.” Mermista said, her tone as casual as ever. Catra sneered at her. “I guess you’re gonna be needing a new ship.” Mermista turned to Sea Hawk. “Ughhh, I suppose you can have one of mine.” Catra took the opportunity. “Looks like you two are a great match after all.” “Yeah, whatever. I saw you with the blonde girl. You two should get a room already.” This didn’t bode well with Catra. “Well, she chose the Horde over me, okay? She doesn’t even listen to me.” “Yeah, whatever.” Sea Hawk was marveling at the beauty. “Don’t set it on fire.” Mermista reminded him. “No promises. But, Princess,” reaching out his hand for hers, “if I might ask for one more favor.” “Ugh, you’re always ruining it.” “You should think about joining Glimmer’s Princess Alliance. She is a brave and strong captain. With her at the helm, she is sure to lead the Rebellion to victory.” “Aww, Sea Hawk. You even got my name right.” “Okay, I’m in.” “Really?” “Yeah. The Horde almost destroyed my home. I wanna help fight them. Plus, your friend over there can turn into, like a 8 foot tall lady with a sword and I want her on my side.” One overwhelming wave of cheers later, Mermista wanted it to stop. (But not really.) “Wow, okay, calm down.” “You won’t regret this, I promise.” 

Meanwhile, Bow and Sea Hawk came up with a new shanty. Caught up in the good mood, Catra decided to let this one slide. “The Best Friend Squad on the seas, We subdued the threat, the threat with ease. We sail the world, come near or far, we’re best friends, we are, we are. We’re best friends, we are, we are!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter was satisfying to y'all. Kudos and Comments appreciated. Also, what should Infected Catra be like? A cat? A drunk? A mixture of both? Please comment below.


	6. Episode 6. System Failure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra shows her feline side.
> 
> Adora practices what she learned.
> 
> The Horde squad plays a simulated game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 500 views! Thanks for all your support! Hopefully you stick with me while I navigate through 5 seasons lol.

It was a dark and stormy night. Or rather, it was just stormy. It wasn’t dark, nor was it night. Entrapta, princess of the city of Dryl and of the few inhabitants of the Crypto Castle. The very understaffed cooks, preparing the eccentric princess’s meal, were not feeling at ease. The robots, though humanlike in behavior, was just off enough to put them in the deepest recess of the uncanny valley. But at least it could properly navigate the Crypto Castle. The Crypto Castle, a labyrinth of hidden pathways and branching paths, have been an enigma to everyone but the princess herself. 

The robot successfully delivered the meal. That is, a tiny cupcake in the shape of a pig. And a glass of grapefruit juice, too. Refreshed, the princess continued in her work, analyzing a First Ones crystal found at the mines of Dryl. Using her prehensile hair, she reached for the suspended crystal, and linked it up to a power source. “Log. Day one-o-three. One-o-four? No, definitely 103.” Then she sat down, using her hair as a chair. “First Ones artifact number 58 has yielded a treasure trove of intact code.” Entrapta ‘walked’ around, using her hair as legs. “If I can successfully translate it, it could hold the secrets of the First Ones.” 

It was when the crystal began to glow, then infect the castle with red, fleshy tendrils which then enveloped the whole interface. Entrapta realized that the artifact contained viral code, when she was surrounded by robots given new life and purpose by the crystal. “Fascinating. My robots seem to be responding to the code! This is remarkable. Could this be my biggest step yet towards making ancient and modern technology truly compatible?!” With a yelp, she dodged the butler-bot’s projectile. Surrounded by the now murderous robots, she realized whatever purpose the crystal has endowed upon the robots weren’t benevolent. “Edit to log. I am now going to run.”

The three rebels, unaware of the recent development in Dryl, was walking to Dryl with the intention of recruiting Princess Entrapta into the Rebellion. “Princess Entrapta will be a total catch for the Rebellion. My mom’s gonna be so impressed!” Catra, despite how much Glimmer talked about her mom, didn’t find it repetitive. Queen Angella was a reasonable authority figure, one who did not show favoritism. She maybe had flaws Catra wasn’t aware of, but she figured she would still be leagues better than Shadow Weaver. “Uh, I’m fine with impressing Queen Sparkles, but why is this Entrapta so important?” Bow was eager to answer. “She’s a brilliant inventor. She makes robots and rehabs old tech left by the First Ones. She’s a pretty big deal in the Etherian makers community.” “I don’t think the Etherian making community or whatever is a big deal.” Catra said, hopefully provoking some squeaky rebuttal from the archer. “Yes, it is! Sweet Bee even got help from them once!” Bow squeaked. Perfect. “I’ve never heard of that.” Glimmer contributed to Catra’s point. “They’re important! Anyways, I’m a part of it, because I dabble in gadgetry myself.” Pulling out a miniature bow and arrow, he fired the arrow which then exploded, causing a cute ‘pop!’. Then he made jazz hands, hoping that his demonstration would cement his reputation as an artisan and an engineer.

“Whatever. Sparkles, what does any of that mean?” Catra just hoped this mission wasn’t a waste of time. “It means if we convince Entrapta to join the Rebellion, she’ll invent all sorts of cool junk for us. And then we’ll finally have weapons that can stand up to the Horde’s.” “Like my trick arrows. I’m running low, so I built new ones.” Catra was low-key excited to see those trick arrows. Arrow Boy may be lame, but his arrows were certainly not. A stun arrow. Useful for incapacitating enemies. An emergency flare. Useful for signalling. A pointy arrow. Simple but potent nonetheless. “And here’s my newest one.” Putting up his most dramatic voice, Bow was very proud to present his ‘Sonic Arrow’. No one else shared his enthusiasm. 

Laughing, Glimmer mocked his achievement. “When will we ever need a sonic arrow? If we have to wake up really early?” “Or if we need to wake  _ someone _ up really early?” Catra said, and thought that was actually useful. She was having fun messing with the Bright Moon guards. Being the stealthy magicat she was, she had no problem getting away scot free after wreaking havoc upon the poor guards. “waKe uP REaLLy EarLy! OooOOh.” He quoted Glimmer, then groaned. “I bet Entrapta will like my arrows.”

Adora visited Shadow Weaver for her daily lessons. She was getting the hang of lying. And she could now find out when someone was playing the victim, or drawing sympathy to gain a psychological edge against her. Though she was unwilling to learn at first, identifying manipulation couldn’t hurt at all, right? And even her ‘bad’ lessons, like tugging on the victim’s insecurities or utilizing flaws in general, she would only use on the princesses.

She still thought of this as a necessary evil, though. She would swear off of such deceit when she got Catra back. Anyways, she anticipated her lesson for today- yesterday, she learned when and how to bluff. But today, there was no lesson. Neither was she assigned a mission. Instead, she was told to practice it on  _ fellow cadets _ . Adora couldn’t do it. Manipulation? On her friends? She had vehemently refused, but Shadow Weaver was too insistent. “Adora, did you learn how to walk, how to run, how to assemble a stun baton, from a book?” The answer was, of course, ‘no’. “This will take a long time for you to learn just from me, time Catra does not have. The sword’s grip over her gets stronger with each passing second, and if you are too late, even I will not be able to save her.” This was enough to motivate Adora. Ironically, Adora couldn’t see that Shadow Weaver was bluffing, despite her learning about it just yesterday.

Meanwhile, Catra, Bow and Glimmer were obstructed by a pile of boulders, presumably from a rock slide. “Must’ve been a rock slide.” Bow guessed. “Any loud sound could cause another slide. We need to be as quiet as-” “For the Honor of Grayskull!” Catra rushed in. Bow watched her transformation in silent horror, afraid of the surprisingly loud transformation noises. With a few strokes, the rubble was cleared easily by She-Ra’s incredible strength. “Ha! I’m getting the hang of this.” “That was incredibly dangerous.” Bow was quick to point out. “Hey, if it works, it ain’t broke, Arrow Boy.” "You can't just bust through everything with magic!" "Actually, I can. And I just did." "She-Ra could've caused an avalanche!" "But she didn't. Besides, I spent my entire life without powers, and I'm not giving them up." Then Catra yelped from a nearby lightning strike. "Whoa. She's got lightning!" Bow said in awe. Glimmer, sensing something suspicious, teleported to the castle roof. "Something's wrong. The castle's distress beacon is lit. They must be under attack."

"I thought General Ponytail said there were no Horde nearby!" She quickly rushed to Glimmer's side. "Whoa, wait! Be careful!" But Catra wasn't, and on her way she tripped over a rock, which triggered a deadly trap involving spikes. Bow carefully made his way around it. 

Adora wasn't sure on how to manipulate her fellow cadets without losing their trust and friendship. But then she had an idea: What if it was for a game? In the Horde, though means of entertainment was limited, competition was highly encouraged. What mattered was winning, and nothing else. So she decided to play one of the only games that was actually allowed by the Horde: Horde vs Rebellion. The rules were simple. They took control of a faction, like Salineas, or Plumeria, or the Horde, with each their own unique abilities. Then they would get troops from their territory, the exact amounts unknown to all but the battle sim computer and the player who got the reinforcements. Capturing all the enemy's capital was the goal, with each Capital giving the bonii mentioned before.

It encouraged strategic thinking, as well as the ability to read their opponent. Adora absolutely sucked at the game, due to her always getting ganged up by her fellow cadets. After Adora, it was either Catra or Kyle, then it was either Lonnie or Rogelio who won. But this time, there was a variable Adora could use, though she felt guilty about it. Scorpia. This big woman with an even bigger heart was apparently fond of Adora, a fact she could take advantage of. Kyle was weak willed, and too prone to getting intimidated. Rogelio would usually follow Kyle. Which only left one real enemy: Lonnie. Though not a strategic genius, Lonnie wasn't dumb either, and she could muscle Kyle into ganging up on Adora. But not this time. This time, she would bluff, lie, and manipulate her way to victory. 

Catra had a bad feeling about the place. The high-pitched noise, apparently only hearable to her, messed with her head more than any sound should be able to. "Are you okay?" Glimmer asked. "Something's off. Let's just get this over with." They explored the Crypto Castle more, teleporting and walking around, when someone-or something- closed a door near them. "Hey! Come out!" Catra yelled. "Hello? Princess Entrapta? We're here to, uh, recruit you for the Rebellion!" Glimmer shouted, not noticing a disembodied robot hand crawling near her, and eventually on her. When Glimmer felt something crawl against her skin, she looked down expecting a bug, only to see a robot hand laying on the ground. When she picked it up, it started moving on its own, causing various panicked reactions which eventually led to the hand being seperated from her. Bow caught up to them. "Okay, we need to be careful. Entrapta has, traps set up, all over her castle." Bow said, panting. "Hoooo!" Bow caught his breath. "They're supposed to be really cool!" Then the ground shook with an explosion. A manhole opened, revealing an elderly lizardfolk. "They're coming. Get out of the square!" "Who's coming? The Horde? Come on!" Catra banged at the manhole. "Hello? Come back!" Glimmer also asked. The source of the ground shaking was getting closer, and Glimmer wasn't having any of that. "We should probably get away from whatever's making that sound." Catra found a way that was not heading towards the noise. "This way!" Unfortunately, 'This way' was't free of killer robots either. Bow gasped as he spotted a robot, with various pieces missing, such as its eyes, a portion of the left arm, and a left foot. "What the?!" Catra looked at the abomination, then ripped it apart with her claws, putting the once decommissioned robot out of commission again. Bow finished the robot, then checked out the aggressive automaton. "Looks like one of Entrapta's designs. why would it attack us?" Meanwhile, Catra was just about to smash through a door. "Stand back, Sparkles!" She swung the Sword around menacingly. Bow, noticing the obvious crack in the ground, warned them. "Careful. It could be a-" trap. It was a trap, and Glimmer and Catra literally fell for it. "Glimmer! Catra!" Then he was silenced, taken away by a pair of burly hands. 

The game was not going well for Adora. Her bid at fully occupying the Kingdom of Snows had not gone well, her plans again foiled by Lonnie. Now was the time to use manipulation. She lied to Kyle about Lonnie's intentions, scaring him away. And she made Scorpia take the brunt of Lonnie's attack, by convincing her that her territory-the Fright Zone, was easier to defend, and appealing to Scorpia's fondness for Adora. But her best work was amassing a great number of troops on Lonnie's front, making Lonnie anticipate a major attack. This lead to a split-second misjudgement, as Lonnie split her already spread thin troops in half. By the time Lonnie could consolidate her troops, her capital had fallen, and a majority of her territory had been occupied. This was quite a risky move, as Rogelio would have steamrolled her defenseless territory if he knew what was up, but she made sure to keep him occupied with minor skirmishes on Kyle's front. The source of the skirmishes would be a minor territory dispute, one that Adora fanned the flames of. All in all, she felt quite proud of her handiwork. If she could pit Kyle and Rogelio against each other, she could surely drive the princesses apart whenever she wanted. 

Catra and Glimmer plunged for quite a while, before landing on her face for Glimmer, and gracefully landing on all fours for Catra. She landed on Glimmer. "Bow! He's all alone with those things! He needs us!" Catra couldn't believe Glimmer was thinking of Bow, when they had fallen into a trap just now. Mermista would love to hear about this. "We can worry about Arrow Boy once we get out, okay?" "Come on. I'll teleport us out." A tiny hall. "This isn't 'out', Sparkles." "Ugh." The edge of the Dryl alarm beacon. Glimmer shrieked in her fear of heights. Catra didn't share the same fear. Right on top of a trap. This time, Catra screamed with Glimmer, and they teleported away just in the nick of time. Finally, they made it somewhere inside the halls of the Crypto Castle. "Get off me! And no more teleporting!" "Sounds like a good idea."Glimmer got off of Catra's back. Then a rustling sound alerted them both of a presence. With a rattle, the vent was opened, a being with two glowing red eyes and flexible limbs slithering out. Catra and Glimmer readied themselves for battle. "Not again." Glimmer said as she lit up a ball of sparkles. Fortunately, the entity was not something to fight. Rather, it was someone to rescue. "Princesses! I'm saved!" "Ohh… Princess Entrapta? I mean, so good to see you. I hope you don't mind, but we sorta let ourselves in." "And then we let ourselves out of your cage trap thing, so thanks for that." Glimmer nudged Catra for saying that. Entrapta didn't seem to mind it though. In fact, she seemed oblivious to sarcasm. "You're welcome. Anyways, welcome to Dryl! Things are usually really fun around here, but right now it's all kind of teensy bit deadly." "We noticed." "Catra!"

Bow was resisting as hard as he could against his captors. "Let me go!" The captors proved extremely gentle, however. "Please keep your voice down, sir. The robots respond to sound." A fine looking man with lavender hair whispered. "We're just trying to help you." A more stout woman added. "Oh, thanks. What's going on? Why are the robots attacking people?" Bow asked. "We don't know! We're just the kitchen staff." The short girl with blue hair answered. The other woman offered bow a cupcake, albeit a tiny one. The lavender haired man then offered Bow a delicious fizzy beverage. Bow was grateful, though a bit puzzled. "Uh… Thank you?" "You'll be safe in here with us. We've got enough food to last for months. I mean it's tiny, but still." The plump woman said reassuringly. "The bots will run out of power eventually, right?" The short girl asked Bow. Bow, more worried about his friends than himself, urged action. "We need to do something. You can't just hide in here forever." The girl thought otherwise. "Oh, yes, we can.  _ We  _ don't have powers like the princesses. We can't fight." The girl spoke, eating a miniature cupcake. Then Bow's tracker beeped, triggering a reaction of fear among the three kitchen staff. "Sir, kindly quiet your… whatever that is." "It's a tracker pad. It tracks energy signatures from magic. It'll help me find my friends." The three looked at the tracker pad, half in curiosity and half in worry. "Are those little dot-thingies your friends?" It was not. The robots, finally having found the organics, banged at the door. "Gonna go with no."

"You're lucky I found you," Entrapta said to the two princesses. "I designed the castle as a labyrinth. I'm the only one who can navigate it." Then she bumped into a wall. Catra snickered, then got nudged by Glimmer again. "Which means you can help us find our friend?" Glimmer asked hopefully. "Absolutely." Entrapta jumped from an arch. The princesses followed them, to be greeted by the same cute cat picture they saw a few seconds ago. "I don't think Robot Princess has all her marbles." Catra whispered. "Hi, I think we passed this picture already." Glimmer said to Entrapta. Entrapta passed it off with an "Oh, isn't it cute?" Then figured out that she was, indeed, lost. "You might be right. I usually have my electronic map to get around, but, well, like my bots, it's sort of evil right now." "Uh, yeah, about that-" Glimmer approached the princess, literally and figuratively, when she was interrupted by Catra's blurting. "Why did you invent killer robots?" "You're abnormally tall." Entrapta answered with a question of her own. Then measuring a visibly frustrated Catra's height, she noticed her Sword. "Hello! I like your sword. It's First Ones tech.  _ It's a little broken, but still. _ " She mumbled the last part. "Can I touch it?" "No." Catra shut her down with one word. Glimmer continued her interrogation. "Ahem. About the killer robots?" "They didn't start out that way. Usually, they're  _ super _ useful. They do almost everything for me. Cleaning, filing, basic hygiene..." The last part made Catra and Glimmer exchange worried glances. "Ooh, and they're sound activated! Here, I'll show you." Then she started clapping, then was stopped by Glimmer. "Uhh, could we maybe not do that?" But the damage was done, and a giant noise was heard, indicating that a killer robot, a big one, was heading their way. 

The two ran away, Catra reluctantly grabbing the hermit princess by her hair. The robot, formerly a cleaner, headed towards them, destroying everything in its path. Entrapta, while running away from a killer robot, still found said bot adorable. "Haha! Isn't it adorable!" Entrapta said, surprisingly not out of breath. The robot was stopped by one of the support frames holding the Crypto Castle together. The robot roared in frustration, making She-Ra keel over in pain. "It's trying to talk!" Entrapta was excited, running over to the cleaner bot. "Whatever it's saying, I don't think it's good." Glimmer was less enthusiastic. "Make it stop!" Catra grunted, covering her magicat ears the best she could. "Make what stop?" Glimmer still couldn't hear the noise. Meanwhile, Entrapta was closely examining the immobilized robot in relative safety, when her hair got caught in one of the automated brooms. "Oh, no. Bad bot!" Entrapta shouted. Catra sighed, then pulled out her sword. With a leap, she reached the power source of the robot and stabbed it. But when she did, some fleshy tendrils extended from the crystal and wrapped around the Sword of Protection. Entrapta fell over, but she was mostly fine. It was She-Ra who had a problem, though. Even though the robot was harmless, She-Ra smacked the robot over and over again, making a worried Glimmer take the Sword from her hands. With a scream, she was back to her normal self! Mostly. 

More and more robots swarmed the door, and everyone in the room knew the door wouldn't last. Bow was making a makeshift trap, while the two nagged about the plan's uncertainties. "Now!" The drink server drank a bottle of not-alcohol, and the baker opened the door, letting the robots in. "Here goes nothing." The automatons, fixated on the drink server, didn't notice as Bow shot an arrow with a rope tied to it, make one of them trip straight into the fireplace. With another arrow, he shot a robot in the mouth, destroying it. There was only one robot, and one arrow left, but unfortunately for Bow, it was a sonic arrow. The robot was slowly approaching the baker, when it was hit particularly hard in the face with a pantry door. The most timid of them all, the girl crawled out, asking "Is it over?" Looking at the disabled robot, "I did that? Hey, I did that!" "Nice work. Now let's find my friends. Come on." Bow ran out, and the three followed him, hoping that the Rebellion soldier would lead them somewhere safe. 

"Catra, wake up! Please, wake up!" Not reading the atmosphere, she tapped the magicat's cheek twice, then added in her log "The tall one seems infected, too. She turned less tall." Then she asked Glimmer. "How does it work?" "She's not an  _ it.  _ She's my friend. And what do you mean, she's infected too?" "It's really fascinating. I've been experimenting with a disc recovered from a mine in Dryl. It was a game changer. It held more complete First Ones code than anything I'd ever seen before. But it seems to have reacted with the First Ones tech that powers my bots. It infected them with some sort of a virus." "But why would that make She-Ra sick?" Entrapta found an opportunity. "Well, I'd have to take her apart to be sure." Glimmer held Catra tighter, glaring at Entrapta. "But since her sword if First Ones tech, it must've spread through that." "First, you're not taking her apart. She is a person! Second, if we destroy this disc, will that turn off the bots and stop the virus?" Glimmer snapped at Entrapta. "Destroy it? The experiment isn't complete!" Glimmer was sick of it. "I think we can safely say this experiment is a failure." "But what if it's not- no, you're right. It's a failure." Catra came to her senses. Mostly. "Sparkles! Where's Arrow Boy?" Catra slurred. Relieved, Glimmer asked Catra how she was feeling. "Just..." she purred. "I feel like I'm sometimes not good enough, you know?" Glimmer was dumbfounded. Was Catra being  _ sincere? _ "You know, the Sword's supposed to be Adora's. I-I took it, because I was jealous." "What?" This was a total shock to Glimmer. But she didn't care. Catra was the hero now, and if Adora was jealous, she would have to deal with it. "Well, you're She-Ra now. Deal with it." Catra insisted she could walk, so Glimmer let her. That proved to be a mistake, as the moment she let go of her, she sat down again and started grooming herself. The promise of mice was the only thing that made her budge, and even then, she walked on all fours. Navigating the halls with only a slightly, no, very eccentric princess, there were many dead ends, many changings of the course, and many shenanigans, like Catra running off to catch a robo-mouse, or Glimmer's cape getting caught in one of the secret doors, or Glimmer having to drag Catra who was vehemently refusing to be moved, lodging her claws to the floor. "I feel  _ anxious _ . What if we lose, and I have to go back to Shadow Weaver?" Glimmer reminded them that they were going to win in the end. And she also decided that once Catra opened up enough, they would talk about this 'Shadow Weaver'. Only then Catra re-sheathed her claws. 

Then they finally arrived. "Oh, we're here! I mean, uh, of course we're here. We were never lost." She casually entered the 20 digit password of the door, then got promptly zapped. Catra tried to swat at the princess's writhing hair, an endeavor foiled by Glimmer. "Wow, the door is infected, too! It won't let us in. That is so smart. And awful. We're all gonna die." Glimmer saw a glimmer of hope. "It's okay. I've got this one. I'll just teleport into the lab." She said confidently. "Ooh, teleportation. How does that work? Tell me everything." " _ Sure.  _ But maybe later, when we're not like, facing a robot uprising." Entrapta didn't get the point. "It's a date!" "I'll be right back." Glimmer said, laying Catra against a wall. "Stay safe, Sparkles. You're my friend." Glimmer made a note to remember what Catra just said whenever Catra was being particularly mean. Entrapta captured one of Glimmer's sparkle particles, and she paid no attention to the situation inside her room. After several close calls, she barely made her way out safely. Gasping for breath, Glimmer reported the results. "That was not such a good plan. The lab is very full of robots." "How did they look?" "Pretty evil. I couldn't get anywhere near the disc." Then another robot just made its way to the main hall, scaring the two princesses. Meanwhile, Catra was sulking about how she left Adora alone with Shadow Weaver, in a very regretful tone.

The look on Lonnie's face as she lost her last territory to Adora and Scorpia's last advances was priceless. "Scorpia! Adora's gonna win now!" Lonnie's desperate appeal was her last words, as she was kicked out of the simulation for losing. Now there were only three factions left; Kyle and Rogelio's skirmishes escalated into a war that led to Kyle's defeat and Rogelio's forces seriously stunted. Since Adora bordered Rogelio, she had no difficulty in cleaning up Rogelio's remaining army. That left two, Adora and Scorpia. And Adora had the upper hand, as her capital, Bright Moon, let her traverse the Whispering Woods freely without penalties, a privilege Scorpia didn't have. Then, Scorpia made a move Adora mostly didn't expect; she surrendered. "Man, I'm just really, really bad at this, you know?" she said to Adora when she asked why she surrendered, a blush on her face. 

Bow and the kitchen staff met yet another robot, which had the amazing ability to create bubbles. The three were scared, while Bow mislabeled the robot as 'cute' before being slammed against the wall by said robot. "Uh, guys? A little help?" With a battle cry, the littlest kitchen staff threw a plate which cleanly cleaved the head off of the robot. They were startled again, by the tracker beeping. "Please don't say it's more bots." The meekest asked. "No. That's Glimmer teleporting. I know where Glimmer and Catra are." Seeing that that between the three organic energy signatures, which Bow assumed was Catra, Glimmer, and probably

Entrapta, and the four, which was them, there were many robots, they were probably in danger. "Uh, oh. That's not good. We have to do something! We have to save them." "Oh, no, sir. No, thank you." The littlest one declined. "It's one thing to fight them off out of necessity. But to seek out danger? It's madness! Pardon me." The beverage server added. "Look, they're princesses, they have powers. I make baked goods." The stoutest one made an excuse, not knowing that making good bread was a power on its own. "Sure, we don't have powers like the princesses'. But that never stopped me and it doesn't have to stop you." "But you're a master archer. We're just ordinary people." "I'm a master archer who's out of arrows. But that never stopped me, either. You each have a skill that only you can do, even if it doesn't come from some magical jewel. You say you're just ordinary people? I say you're warriors of the Rebellion!" The confidence bubbled out of Bow and was absorbed by the three new Rebellion warriors. "To the Rebellion!"

The three were running away, Catra a dead weight on Glimmer. Running and hiding in a futile effort to get away, the three were eventually surrounded by the feral bots. Meanwhile, Entrapta found it within herself to comment on the robots' cooperation with each other. "I don't suppose you have any other magical powers that could be useful right now?" Glimmer didn't have any other magical powers that could have been useful then. "I don't have enough energy to teleport us all. Not without someone's legs behind." With this sentence, she implied that she was not willing to teleport in her current condition, and that she had accidentally teleported without enough energy, amputating another being at least once in her life. Entrapta, for the third time, didn't get the point. "I'll give up one of mine if you give up one of yours." Then the three hugged, ready to meet their doom, Catra yelling "I'm touch starved and touch averse at the same time!" when a smoke bomb, actually flour, went off. The cavalry had arrived. "It's Bow!" Glimmer had said. "Yay, Bow! I'm sorry for pushing you away every time you approached me!" Catra yelled. Utilising various arsenals, such as pie, icing, or soda, the rebels dispatched the robots with ease. "Bow! You're okay! I was so worried." "You guys are  _ so  _ in love!" Catra yelled, earning a glare from Glimmer. "Big fan of your work, Princess Entrapta. Maybe not this work exactly, but your other work." Entrapta awkwardly chuckled. "Hi." Then Bow kissed her hair in a gesture of respect. "Hi, Arrow Boy." "You okay, Catra?" "Oh yeah, sure, other than leaving my friend behind. I'm the…" She snorted, almost collapsing on the floor before Glimmer caught her. "Entrapta was experimenting with First Ones tech and it infected all her machines with some kind of virus, and She-Ra's sword got infected too, and made Catra all..." Catra walked up to one of Entrapta's twin tails, and pounced on it. She was met with a fierce reaction and she was pushed away. "Weird." Glimmer finished her sentence. "I teleported into the lab. But it's full of bots. And maybe with She-Ra we'd have a chance, but without her it's hopeless." But Bow knew they didn't need She-Ra. They had new soldiers for the Rebellion. "We don't need She-Ra. We can do this together."

Sneaking into Entrapta's room via the air ducts, they took cover behind a pile of discarded electronics. "Okay, where's the disc?" Bow asked. Entrapta silently pointed towards it. It was guarded by a bunch of robots, as well as red, fleshy roots. "How fascinating. It has completely protected itself." Entrapta observed. "We have to find a way to turn it off." Bow said. "Hey guys, I found the bots!" Catra yelled. The sound activated the robots, which rushed towards Catra. "Catra!" She took Catra and teleported to higher ground. "Glimmer!" Bow shouted for his friend. "We'll get your friends. You two, get that disc turned off." The baker assured Bow, and he felt confident entrusting his friends in the hands of the new warriors. "Keep 'em busy!" 

The three bursted out, weapons in hand, as Bow and Entrapta silently made their way to the disc. "We got your back, princesses!" The littlest one said as she threw a plate to one of the robots, destroying its CPU. Meanwhile, the tendrils didn't even budge as the two tried to pull the disc off of the main computer. "That's not gonna work. How do we shut the computer down?" "Ah! The power conduit!" The two unplugged the power cord, temporarily disabling it. Temporarily. The disc's innate power source restarted the computer, causing some unpleasant bodily noises and alerting the robots to potential threats. "Ya dumb bots, you're going the wrong way! Bow, watch out!" Glimmer shouted. "Uh, why isn't the computer turning off?" "Hahaha! It's running on its own power now! Uhh, that's it. We need to get out of here and burn this place to the ground. Experiment officially failed." But then, Bow had an idea which didn't involve arson. "Wait, I have an idea." When Entrapta slinged herself and Bow over the robots, Bow shot the sonic arrow, giving it encouragement. "Now's your chance, sonic arrow. I believe in you!" The screeching noise from the sonic arrow turned the robots against the disc, as the automatons smashed against it with mechanical strength. The disc was shattered into pieces, and everything returned to normal. "Where am I? What's happening?" Catra asked in a not slurred voice. Bow and Glimmer gently put their hands on Catra, for it to be snapped away again. "Thanks, former tall ones and companions, for saving our lives. I would be honored to join your Rebellion and provide you with weapons." Catra was confused, but pleased anyways. "Thanks guys, you saved us all back there. The Rebellion needs regular people more than ever." The three were ready. "We are ready!" "Ha!"

On their way home, Catra was dying from embarrassment. Glimmer was kind enough to only tell Catra, and not Bow, but it was embarrassing that Glimmer knew about it. She could only hope she wouldn't disclose of what happened to Mermista, or worse, Perfuma. Mermista would only make fun of her for it, but Perfuma, with her vibes or whatever, would try to 'set things right', causing a lot of pain for Catra. The same went for Bow. "So, maybe you had a point before." Glimmer admitted. "What? Sorry, I couldn't hear you." Bow taunted Glimmer, but he was sure he could also  _ hear _ Catra scowling. "Don't push it, Arrow Boy." "I didn't know She-Ra could get sick like that. Not that it'll happen again." Catra said this with a facade of uncaringness, but she was actually very unsure. Up until now, She-Ra had been mostly infallible. She could get downed with powerful enough blasts, she couldn't heal, but she could do practically anything else. But what happened now was She-Ra's weakness, clear as day. What if Shadow Weaver somehow used that against her? "We destroyed that evil, She-Ra-hating disc. She-Ra will never get sick again." Bow assured Catra. "Thanks for saving us, Bow." Glimmer thanked him once again. "All in a day for Bow and his band of Kitchen Knights. His Baking Brigade." "I said don't push it, Arrow Boy. Hey, looks like that rock could really use some smashing. For the Honor of Grayskull!" Before Glimmer could find a way to cheer Catra up, she cheered herself up. "Bet your arrows can't do this, Arrow Boy."

Meanwhile at the Fright Zone, Adora was satisfied with the results. She had showed the ability to bluff, to manipulate people against each other with only a sliver of conflict, and to sway her opponents, though she wasn't sure about the last one. Scorpia had already taken a liking to her before the game even begun, it seemed. But she was satisfied, and she was sure Shadow Weaver would be too. 

Except she wasn't. Instead of her newfound talents appreciated, she was yet again scolded for spending time with her fellow troops. "Adora, they will only love you when you are useful. Then they will betray you for their own gains." Shadow Weaver had said, then said something about her experiencing betrayal too. Was that the reason Shadow Weaver was so wretched? Adora could only wonder. But what Shadow Weaver said hit hard. What if they didn't like her at all, just put up with her because she was a Force Captain, Shadow Weaver's favorite?  _ What if Catra left her because she didn't need her anymore?  _ Adora was still shaken up when Scorpia approached her. "Are you okay, Blondie?" Adora told her what Shadow Weaver said to her. "Hey, I just wanted you to know that I'll be there for you, okay? Useful or not." Adora abruptly gave her a hug, making Scorpia blush. "Oh, man, you're a hugger too, huh?" Adora just hugged her tighter, telling Scorpia more things than words could ever do.  


Entrapta was sitting in the rubble, talking into her recorder again. "Log. Day One-o-five. One-o-four? Eh. The last experiment hit a few bumps, but it was not a  _ total  _ failure. I made some important discoveries. The disc is way more powerful than I ever imagined." Grabbing her blowtorch, she headed to the interface she made for the disc again. "With a few adjustments, I'm sure the next experiment will be a success." Then, like any other mad scientist, she started messing with the forbidden once again...  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always saw Catra as the one who would get drunk and act really really close, but maybe it's just me. I'm thinking this might be kinda controversial, especially since I mostly used this for comedic effect. Also, kudos and comments still appreciated.


	7. Episode 7. The Shadows of Mystacor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra goes on a vacation.
> 
> Adora watches a master at work.
> 
> Shadow Weaver messes with Catra for the last time.

Catra jumped awake from the nightmares again. "Catra." Catra could hear Shadow Weaver spit out with contempt, and she had to check for Shadow Weaver. So she stayed up, until Bow got up. Bow, having had a good night's sleep, woke Glimmer up, who was using her cape as a blanket. "Good morning, Glimmer~" "It's too early. Five more minutes." Glimmer groaned. "But it's a beautiful morning." "Today's canceled. Go back to bed." A pause, then Glimmer uncovered herself. "I can feel you staring at me." She got up. "Why is it the one who snores is the first one to fall asleep?" Bow was genuinely shocked. "What? I don't snore." "Catra, do I snore?" Looking to Catra for validation, Bow saw that Catra was absent, absently looking at somewhere far away. 

Glimmer groaned, then teleported, too close to Catra. Catra yelped. "Sorry, too early to teleport." "Then don't." Catra snapped again, per usual. Bow traced Catra's gaze, then noticed nothing noticeable. "What are we looking at?" "I don't know. I heard someone in the woods last night, and I'm sure I saw something." "What? Like a bunny? Maybe a butterfly?" Glimmer asked. This question, asked in jest, set Catra off. "This isn't time for jokes, Sparkles. This is serious!" Looking at Catra's bags under her eyes, she realized Catra didn't get sleep. At all. "Catra, did you get any sleep at all?" Catra snapped again. "Shut up! I'm fine, okay?" "Okay, I know you're on edge because of what happened with Entrapta's infected robots, but it's all over now! You've got to relax. You need a vacation. Which is why we're going to Mystacor." "Mystacor? No way!" Bow was excited, and Catra liked the idea of a vacation. 

"Yeah… yeah! A vacation sounds good." Surely Catra was just a bit on edge because of what happened in Dryl. "What's Mystacor?" Catra asked. It was always good to know before stumbling into things, Catra learned from their many misadventures. "It's a secret, floating kingdom," That part was nice. "that's home to all of Etheria's sorcerers." Catra froze, eyes widening, pupils shrinking. "Catra? Are you okay?" Glimmer put a hand on Catra's shoulder, which was jerked away. Catra was on the edge of crying now, rage and sorrow seething from her. Glimmer contemplated her best to figure out why she was so touchy with sorcerers. But then, she remembered a name. Shadow Weaver. Glimmer remembered Catra talking about Shadow Weaver, and all the terrible things she did, when she was infected. If this Shadow Weaver was a sorcerer, highly probable considering her name, Catra may have associated magic as a whole with Shadow Weaver. "Is this... about Shadow Weaver?" She blurted. This was a big mistake. "What?! How did you… Argh!" Catra focused her anger on Glimmer, roughly shoving her before running away somewhere. Bow was now determined to get in the loop. "Okay, what was that about?" So Glimmer told everything, about Catra's confessions when she was infected, how she was afraid of Shadow Weaver, and how she left Adora alone with her. Bow took a minute to take in the meanings and implications of what she had said. Apparently Bow's guesses were right. The girl had issues. 

Bow found Catra, crying behind a log. Bow waited until she had finished crying to walk in on her. "Catra, are you okay?" Bow made sure not to make himself visible to Catra yet. "I'm fine. Go away." "Catra, is it about… you know who?" Catra growled. "Yes! Now go!" But Bow stayed. After a few minutes, when Catra calmed down, Bow continued. "Catra, I think this Shadow Weaver had done a number on you. Do you wanna talk about it?" "No! Go to your stupid vacation already!" But Bow stayed. The sun had almost gone down. It was getting dark. But Bow stayed. Finally, Catra relented. "What do you want, Arrow Boy?" "Catra, I… we just want you to know that the magic of Mystacor is beautiful. And it doesn’t hurt people. It heals them, rejuvenates them, you know. If anything, it probably is the only place Shadow Weaver can’t reach! Mystacor’s protected by an invisibility spell, so evil can’t find it!" Catra, though still upset, was glad that Bow stayed with her. Catra felt like Bow filled the space Adora made when she didn’t come with her. Glimmer tried too, but she was too much like Catra to actually comfort her. "A place Shadow Weaver can't reach..." Catra liked the prospect of a safe space. Maybe Mystacor wouldn't be so bad after all.

Bow and Catra returned at dead of night, and were greeted by a worried Glimmer. "Where were you guys? I was  _ so  _ worried!" “We were just… you know. Anyways, Catra’s going to Mystacor!” Glimmer squealed in excitement. “You won’t regret it, Catra! It’s got tranquil gardens, beautiful beaches, and healing springs. And my aunt Castaspella just happens to be head sorceress there.” The name Castaspella put Catra out of her bad mood. Catra chuckled. “What kind of a name is Castaspella? You know, Sparkles, I thought Bow’s name was terrible, but Castaspella?” She erupted into laughter again. Bow looked at her in relief, seeing that Catra was okay, for now. 

The night had hidden the shadow spy well, and now the future destination of the rebels was disclosed to Shadow Weaver. Adora was called into the Black Garnet chamber, where Shadow Weaver was charging her magic up. “Shadow Weaver, you wanted to see me?” “Ah, Adora. How kind of you to join me.” “Yes, Ma’am. Is this about Catra again?” “Catra’s on her way to Mystacor with her captors.  _ Mystacor _ . This is going to be too easy.” “I’ll get my squad ready, Shadow Weaver!” “There will be no need for that, Adora. This time, I’m going to use my magic to go after Catra myself. You only need to stand guard.” Adora stiffened. Shadow Weaver was anything but merciful, especially to Catra. It was part of the reason Adora ‘sucked up’ to Shadow Weaver; if she was good enough, then Shadow Weaver wouldn’t hurt Catra. If the squad failed, it was Adora’s fault; if Adora failed, then it was Catra’s fault. “Yes, Shadow Weaver.” Adora turned back and started walking to the door. But then, she was worried. What if Shadow Weaver hurt Catra, even more than usual? What if Catra got seriously hurt? The two were supposed to look after each other, and Adora wouldn’t give up on the promise even on two different sides of the war. “Uhh… Shadow Weaver?” “Yes, Adora?” “Please go easy on Catra… She’s not herself, you know that.” “Of course, Adora. I will see that she is only subdued. Now go, stand guard.” It was a small relief. 

“From the farthest regions of Etheria, I command you, be as one!” The shadows converged at Shadow Weaver’s altar, forming a distinguishable shape, a vaguely humanoid being with one ‘eye’. Its screeching was enough to chill Adora, even behind closed doors. 

The three rebels arrived at some cliff. “We’re here!” said Glimmer, as she proudly pointed at nothing. “Uh, we’re on a cliff. Maybe you took a wrong turn, Sparkles.” “Nope! This is the way!” Glimmer’s enthusiasm wasn’t dampened by the fact that ‘Mystacor’ was nothing but a bunch of clouds. Then, Bow and Glimmer both jumped off the cliff, disappearing behind the clouds. Catra panicked. Why on Etheria would these two jump? They had so much to live for! Except they weren’t dead. A floating island ascended, breaking through the clouds. Bow and Glimmer were waiting for Catra to jump. “Come on, Catra, jump!” Catra jumped, and was just about to land gracefully, when she saw a shadowy shape behind her. She was caught off balance, and landed on her face instead. “Ooh, ouch.” Bow was concerned. Glimmer’s chuckle indicated Glimmer wasn’t. “Are you okay?” Bow asked. “I’m fine. I thought I saw… I’m just stressed.” Glimmer’s chuckle receded. “Hang in there, Catra. Next stop, Mystacor.” 

The floating island cruised through the sea of clouds, eventually arriving at the destination. The three leapt off the island. “We rode a flying mountain through clouds. It never gets old!” Bow was excited, as he was for almost anything positive. “Yeah, it was great, Arrow Boy.” Catra said, looking back. She was still worried about what she briefly saw. “Just so you know, my aunt Casta can be  _ a lot _ . But don’t worry. I know how to handle her.” 

“Is that my Glimmer?” A black haired woman with a tiara, ran to greet her nephew. “Hi, aunt Casta!” Glimmer answered with faux-enthusiasm. “It’s been so long since you’ve come to visit. And Bow.” Castaspella hugged Bow to the point of squeezing, making Bow grunt. “And who’s this?” Casta said, pointing at the magicat. “This is my friend Catra.” She pushed Catra near the woman. “She’s also sometimes an 8-foot-tall warrior woman named She-Ra. So don’t freak out when it happens.” “Hi.” Catra muttered. “Catra. How nice Glimmer has finally started making some new friends. We were all pleased when she started bringing Bow around. I was sure she had made him up at first.” Then Casta laughed, which was followed by Catra’s laughing. Glimmer was devastated, though. Trying to turn Casta’s attention somewhere else, Glimmer made a fake cough. “Oh! You’ve done something to your hair?” “What? Yes. I cut it.” “I can see that. I also see you’re not wearing the sweater I knitted for you. Don't you like it?” Casta badgered Glimmer. Catra snickered. She saw her in said sweater once, and it was hilarious. It would be a treat to see Glimmer in oversized sweaters again. “Sure, I like it. It’s-it’s great. It’s just- it’s a little warm for sweaters right now.” “But you’d tell me if you didn’t like it?” “Yes, I’d tell you.” “I’m wearing the socks you sent me.” Bow bragged. Catra rolled her eyes. “Well, I’ve always been fond of this one.” “So, what brings you all the way out here to visit your aunt? Is it once in a blue moon already?” Then the sorcerer laughed, as if she had made a joke. “We’re on a diplomatic mission, Auntie. I’m rebuilding the Princess Alliance and-” Casta cut her off. “My goodness, then you must be starving. I’ll have a feast prepared. I’m sure your mother hasn’t been feeding you.”

Catra felt weird. First, it seemed like not all sorcerers were evil, like Shadow Weaver. It would take more before she would believe most were not evil, though. This Castaspella was not anything like Shadow Weaver, and though she wasn’t the kind of person Catra liked, she didn’t seem bad, either. Second, Castaspella apparently didn’t like Angella? But Angella was the queen of Bright Moon. Surely it was illegal to not like her and show it. Catra’s train of thought was derailed by the sound of laughter. Sorcerers using magic, but nothing like Shadow Weaver’s. It was bright, radiant, and most importantly, not harmful. It was actually even fun, in a way. It just went to show how deplorable Shadow Weaver was. 

“You’ve come at the perfect time. There’s an eclipse this evening. I’m headed right now to inspect the Lunarium for the ceremony. And nothing would make me happier than to give my favorite niece and her friends a tour.” Glimmer didn’t want that. “Uhh… Bow and I have had the tour before, and we don’t wanna get in your way.” Bow, not reading Glimmer, or perhaps reading her but wanting a tour anyways, made a counterpoint. “It’s all right, Glimmer. Catra hasn’t seen it. It’ll be fun.” Glimmer glared at an oblivious Bow. “Oh, well, then I guess it’s up to  _ Catra _ , then. What do you say, my dear?” Glimmer frantically made a gesture saying not to take it. It was just the push she needed to take it. “Yeah, sure, aunt Casta. It’ll be great!” “Oh, I like her.” Glimmer grumbled. Bow noticed something. “Did Catra call Casta aunt?” “I don’t think she knows what an aunt is.” 

The Lunarium was splendorous. Six huge crystals were suspended up near the hole in the ceiling. Catra gazed at the marvelous shiny rocks, as cats often do. “Wow.” Castaspella liked her enthusiasm. “The lunar lenses. We use them in the monthly ceremonies to renew Mystacor’s magic defences and keep us shielded from the outside world. You will be coming to the Eclipse Ceremony tonight, won’t you?” Glimmer interjected, sick of the ceremony. “Aunt Casta, I’ve seen the ceremony dozens of times. And we’re all  _ really _ tired from travelling. Maybe we’ll skip it this time?” “Nonsense. Your friend Catra hasn’t seen it, and it’s quite a sight to behold for a newcomer. Besides,” The head wizard got to her real point, “Don’t you want to spend more time with your aunt?” “Of course! But we also really wanted to show Catra the beach.” That was the wrong answer. “Well, if the beach is the only reason you’re here, I-I really shouldn’t keep you, should I?” Casta pouted. “I certainly don’t want to  _ waste _ your time.” 

Meanwhile, Catra was strolling through the lesser shiny rocks, when she saw that one of the reflections contained a shadowy entity she saw before. Catra’s brows furrowed, and she walked towards where the shadow had been. “Auntie, I didn’t mean it that way.” Glimmer was placating Casta when Bow noticed Catra running somewhere else. “Catra?” Bow asked. “Well, someone is enthusiastic.” Casta said. Casta, Bow, and Glimmer caught up to her. “Ah, yes. The Hall of Sorcerers. These are the great ones who have led Mystacor through the ages.” Pointing at a relatively recent statue, she explained “This is Micah, my brother. We trained in these very halls together. Glimmer looks just like him, you know?” Glimmer didn’t think so. “He had a  _ beard. _ ” Catra was confounded by this coincidence, which wasn’t really a coincidence to anyone with a basic grasp of family dynamics. “Wait, Sparkles’ dad was your brother?” “Catra, you don’t know what aunt means, do you?” Bow asked carefully. “Of course I know! It means head sorcerer!” Catra loudly embarrassed herself, before Bow explained to her what it meant. “Auntie, we’re going to avenge my dad and make sure that the Horde never hurts anyone else. Mom believes in us, and in She-Ra.” “Well, if your mother believes, who am I not to?” ‘Here we go again,’ Glimmer thought. “She’s an angelic being after all, I’m just a  _ common _ sorceress.” “Ugh, please, not this again.” “She never writes to me, you know? I send letters, but do I ever get a reply?”

The Hall of Sorcerers were mostly full of unfamiliar faces, except one. A hooded figure, with most of her face covered by a bandana. “Who’s that?” Catra asked, a little rudely. “Light Spinner. A scar on Mystacor’s past. She sought power and complete control above all else, and she was cast out.” Casta’s face turned a bit mischievous. “Although some say she never  _ really _ left, that she’s only biding her time, waiting to exact her revenge.” Glimmer and Bow were creeped out, but Catra was terrified. If this Light Spinner was Shadow Weaver-she suspected this was the case- then Mystacor wasn’t safe at all. If anything, it would be more dangerous. “But those are only children’s tales, of course. Anyway, on with the tour. Are you hungry? I’ve had the dining room redone since last time you were here, Glimmer.” 

Catra couldn’t hear Castaspella, as she was too busy focusing on the statue of probably-Shadow-Weaver. Then, a shadow stretched out from behind the statue, extending into a familiar form; Shadow Weaver, and her floating hair. Catra yelped, then looked around for her friends. When she looked back at the shadow, it was gone. Then Bow and Glimmer teleported to her, which almost made her scratch her friends' faces out. “Whoa! It’s us, Catra!” Bow said. “Is this the Shadow Weaver stuff again?” “I said, I’m just stressed out! Now what was it you were going to say?” “Aunt Casta’s gone to fix us a big dinner and now it’s finally beach time! And not a moment too early, by the looks of it. You need warm sand and calming waves. Stat.”

Proud of the effect she had on Catra, Shadow Weaver decided it was time for ‘something more’. The shadow spy converged and rose from the shadows, looming ominously. All the while Adora listened, petrified. She couldn’t hear exactly what was going on, but she heard a lot of yelping. Was Catra going to be okay? She hoped Shadow Weaver wouldn’t go too hard on her. She was beating herself over letting Catra go alone for the Sword. ‘If I didn’t let her go, Shadow Weaver wouldn’t need to do this. It’s all my fault.’ Then, Adora was once again called by Shadow Weaver. “Now, you may watch and learn. She is suffering from delusions of grandeur, and she thinks of the Princesses as her friends. I will fix this.” She said. Adora didn’t want to watch, but she thought that maybe with her as a witness, she would go easy on Catra. So she started watching... 

Catra usually would have liked lying down. But not here. Not next to water. “So we just like… lie here?” “Absolutely. Letting your cares melt away. Didn’t you do something like this to relax in the Horde?” “Not officially. They recommended we punch stuff. I slacked off anyways, though.” “Well, this is so much better. Right, Bow?” Bow was already out cold, snoring. “Just try it, okay?” “Hmph.” Catra spread the towel over the sand, and lied down. But something just didn’t do it. Maybe it was something as mundane as the water in the form of clouds near her. Maybe it was Shadow Weaver. Either way, Catra couldn’t relax. After a few minutes of Catra fiddling around, Glimmer got tired of it. “This isn’t working for you, is it?” “No. Can we do something else now?” “Clearly, we’re going to have to take this relaxation thing to the next level. Bow, wake up.” Glimmer’s wake up clap woke him up. “Wha?” “Come on, we need to show Catra the  _ steam grotto _ .” “Whoooo! Steam grotto!”

“No.” “Come on, Catra! It’ll be great!” Catra expected steam, not  _ water _ . She made an important distinction. Steam was okay. Ice was fine. But water? Never. “This water’s different. Sorcerers use them to cleanse themselves of worry and fear before big ceremonies or spells.” After a few minutes of coaxing, pushing, and other desperate attempts, Catra finally relented. As Catra dipped her feet, expecting the same water, she realized it wasn’t the same water she usually hated. This water hit  _ different _ . Catra, uncharacteristically, enjoyed the warm water. “Now, just clear your mind. Breathe deeply. Focus on the warmth of your skin. Let your body go perfectly...” When Catra finally woke up refreshed, she noticed that Glimmer was resting on her. She usually would have shoved her away, she was in a good mood. But then, a familiar sensation. Shadows surrounded her. “Catra!” Shadow Weaver spat. She screamed, then ran away, reaching for her sword. 

“Nononono! Help!” Catra frantically screamed as the shadows crept ever closer. “Catra!” “Shadow Weaver’s here! I saw her!” “Catra, there’s no one else here.” Bow reassured her, worried and slightly irritated. “You brought your sword in here? Are you okay? What happened?” Bow was very concerned, about her and the Shadow Weaver. “Shadow Weaver was here. In the grotto, and she was in the Sorcerer’s Hall, too. I saw her shadow on the floor!” Catra was frantic. “What are you talking about? What did Shadow Weaver do to you?” “Gah! Of course you wouldn’t get it!” “Catra, we’re here for you and we’re not going away until you tell us what she did.” Bow asked firmly. “Shadow Weaver ‘raised’ me in the Horde, if you could call it that. She taught me how to lie, how to read people's moods, and how to pretend that you weren’t affected by anything.” “Catra, she isn’t here. She was  _ never  _ here. It’s not possible.” “But you don’t know what she’s capable of.” “Sounds like Shadow Weaver really did a number on you growing up. But you’re okay. You got away from her.” Bow said as he hugged her. “I don’t need your pity!” Catra snapped, jerking Bow away. Bow was unaffected. This wasn’t the first time, after all. “Do you want to… try something else? We could get massages or find you something to hit, if that would work better.” “No, I’m fine. Just...” She was going to tell him to leave her alone, but the truth was she was scared. But then she need to be alone, too. “I’m okay. Just stay by the entrance.” 

So they did. But then, she heard something. “Catra has finally lost it! Did you see her in there? I think she’s going nuts.” Catra couldn’t stand her supposed ‘friend’ talking behind her back. “I’m not crazy!” She shouted. But Glimmer wasn’t where the voice was. Her magicat hearing indicated Glimmer was at left of the exit; Glimmer was at the  _ right.  _ This was more than enough evidence that Shadow Weaver was here, messing with her mind just like she always did. She just had to strike her down with the Sword when she showed up again. Glimmer worriedly approached her. “Of course you’re not crazy, Catra. No one thinks you are.” Catra rolled her eyes. Their patronizing attitude meant they wouldn’t believe her story of Shadow Weaver.

Catra was ready to face Shadow Weaver, Sword ready, staring at the statue. “You’re ready, Catra. Just don’t lose it this time.” Catra muttered to herself. Then, her own shadow morphed into the shadow entity she saw, and it attacked her; Catra didn’t flinch, anticipating it to pass right through her. It didn’t. Catra was visibly knocked back, but got back on her feet. “For the Honor of Grayskull!” She turned into the radiant warrior, thinking herself ready for everything Shadow Weaver could throw at her. But then, another voice. Adora’s. “Catra!” Catra yelped. “Adora? Where are you? How did you get here?” Some footsteps, with Adora’s voice. “Follow me!” “Adora, I’m not coming back!” “But I don’t want you to. I gave up on you after Salineas.” This chilled Catra to the bone. ‘This couldn’t be Adora.’ Catra thought. Catra was beginning to see Shadow Weaver’s manipulation clearly. This was all a ploy to break her, by thinking she was going mad. But she wouldn’t let this happen. She-Ra wouldn’t let this happen. She ran in the opposite direction of the voice, eventually reaching the Lunarium. Then, yet another voice, this one belonging to Hordak. “The Horde expected nothing of you, Cadet. And yet you still manage to disappoint us. Does the Rebellion truly think you can save them? Nothing can stop the Horde. Least of all you.” Catra could hear a trace of Shadow Weaver’s mannerisms. “Show yourself!” ‘Hordak’ continued. “You will lead them all, every single one of your friends, to their complete and utter annihilation. Nothing will be left but smoking ruins. Your new friends, buried beneath.” Then, she saw Shadow Weaver behind her, on the reflection of the crystal. She focused her energy, and delivered the strike, destroying Shadow Weaver’s image, along with the crystals. Then she realized this was exactly what Shadow Weaver had wanted, as she heard her cackling echo through the Lunarium. 

Castaspella walked in to the Lunarium, checking out the ruckus. She gasped in disbelief, and scrambled at the broken crystals. She was furious. “What have you done?” “Look, Shadow Weaver was here, and-” “Catra!” Bow and Glimmer ran in. “Your  _ friend  _ has destroyed a thousand years’ worth of sacred writings. She could have destroyed the lenses that protect Mystacor.” “She didn’t mean to. Catra would never-” Bow was interrupted by Casta’s hysterical rant. “ _ This  _ is the kind of person you hang around with?” Then she stormed away, furious. “Auntie, wait!” “Glimmer,” Catra offered, when she was cut off. “It’s okay, I’ll handle her.” “The Horde isn’t here, Catra. You need to sleep.” Bow advised. “Promise me you’ll try.” “Okay. But Shadow Weaver is definitely-” “Catra,” Bow said, more firmly this time. “Okay, I’ll try.” 

Catra was lying on the guest bed, scratching at the bedpost, when she heard a knock on the door. It was ‘Glimmer’. “Sparkles! Look, I’m sorry about-” “Save it, Catra. How could you do this?” This one had Catra doubting. Was this Shadow Weaver? Or was Glimmer truly mad at her? “I thought you were supposed to be our friend.” Now, Catra was mad. “Look, it was Shadow Weaver, and if you’d listen to me-” she poked Glimmer with her left index finger, when it went through. This  _ was  _ Shadow Weaver. 

This was kind of a relief, though Catra couldn’t say the same when ‘Glimmer’ morphed into Adora. “Catra?” Adora smiled. “I missed you! Shadow Weaver let me see you, through these shadows.” “I know you’re still under the influence of that sword,” Adora pointed at the Sword, “but Shadow Weaver said she’ll get you free of that soon!” “Adora, what is she going to do?” “Shadow Weaver told me not to tell her this! You’re still brainwashed!” Adora refused to talk. So Catra played along with Adora. Grunting, and holding her head as if she was having a migraine, she collapsed onto the floor. Waiting a moment, she woke up, pretending to be dazed. “A-Adora?” “Catra!” Adora hugged her, though her arms passed right through Catra. “Where-where am I?” “You’re in Mystacor, the home of the vilest of warlocks. But don’t worry! Shadow Weaver will break the shield protecting it from justice, and we’ll come get you soon!” Then Adora realized her mistake, as Catra grabbed the Sword, and ran to the Lunarium with a “Thanks!”

When Catra arrived at the Lunarium, everyone was unconscious. Except a familiar figure, Shadow Weaver. “Catra.” She said, in contempt. She rushed to her friends, when Shadow Weaver surrounded her with shadows. She ran around, hoping to escape her shadow somehow. Shadow Weaver glided to her to touch Catra’s cheek once again, with a sinister laugh. Ignoring her influence, Catra ran through Shadow Weaver, heading to the altar. Shadow Weaver gloated. “The eclipse is nearly over, Catra. When it is, the shield will be down. The Horde will conquer Mystacor, and bring you back to me.” “No, I’ll stop you!” “Why? To help these people? Do you really think they care about you? They do not care about you, just as they did not care about me when I walked among them as Light Spinner.” “Figures.” “Silence, Catra. The only reason you are still alive is because of Adora, and  _ you  _ betrayed her trust. And to think she was the only one to care about you...” “No! Sparkles and Arrow Boy, they care about me!” Catra was on the edge of a panic attack, desperately catching her breath. “Do you think they would have cared about you if you never had the Sword? That was meant for  _ Adora _ ?” The Sword. That’s it. She-Ra could defeat Shadow Weaver. “For the Honor of Grayskull!” But She-Ra didn’t come out. She was still just Catra. “All the more proof that the Sword doesn’t belong to you. You know deep down what I say is true. You are the worthless, good-for-nothing cadet who wouldn’t even be alive if not for her.” Catra dropped her sword, and curled up. “The princesses don’t care about you. No one does. Return now to the Fright Zone. Be with the only one who cares about your  _ insignificant life _ .” 

Catra felt the urge to submit, to go back to her life before. Before she had so much responsibility, so much people depending on her. But she couldn’t let Sparkles, Arrow Boy down. “These are my new friends. They  _ respect _ me. Something no one did.” “You are not worthy of such a thing.” “Yes, I am! I know that now. You just played your twisted mind games, and I thought it didn’t affect me, but it did! But not anymore. You hurt my friends, so now you’re gonna  _ pay _ .” 

Shadow Weaver laughed. “It’s too late. The eclipse will be over in moments. Mystacor will fall and it will be your fault.” Catra ran to the Sword on all fours, then focused her will on protecting her friends. Much to her surprise, the Sword was transformed into a shield, with a runestone in the middle, radiating bright light that cut through the shadows. Catra knew what she should do. She climbed towards the lenses, hoping to focus the light with her shield. “I can give you the affection I gave Adora. You can both be Force Captains. You were nothing before I took you in. And you will still be nothing without me!” “Getting desperate, huh?” Catra squirmed out of Shadow Weaver’s grasp. “You’re weak.” A strike to disperse the shadows, She finally reached the top. “Catra, enough of this. If it is respect you wanted, I can  _ give _ you respect. You have thwarted my plans, no one has done this for a long time. Now come home.” Seeing through Shadow Weaver’s plan to stall for time, she focused the light into her shield. “I’m not going back. You have no power over me anymore.” She directed the light into the altar, restoring the shield over Mystacor and purging the Lunarium from Shadow Weaver’s dark influences. Shadow Weaver was knocked down, collapsing on the floor. Adora tried to help her up, just to be rejected. “I do not need your pity,  _ Force Captain _ .” Adora, having seen everything, was starting to believe that Catra wasn’t brainwashed after all. But what would that mean to Adora, who had followed Shadow Weaver’s orders without hesitation? Adora, who hurt Catra and her new friends in an attempt to ‘normalize’ her. Adora couldn’t believe it, not yet. Maybe deep down, she did, but she was still in denial. 

Everyone bar Catra woke up to see the shield restored, and Catra with a smile on her face. A smile unlike anything the rebels had seen before. “Catra! Are you okay?” Glimmer asked, though she was sure Catra was more than okay. “I’m okay.” Then she chuckled. “I’m… finally okay! She’s-she’s gone!” “I’m so sorry we didn’t believe you! We’ve been bad friends.” Bow apologized. “It’s not your fault, Arrow Boy. Nor was it yours, Sparkles. This is what Shadow Weaver does best. She manipulates people, she pushes them apart. But it’s not gonna work on me again.” Turning to Castaspella, she apologized. “I’m sorry, it’s my fault she was here.” “Nonsense. You saved Mystacor. Glimmer has chosen her friends well. I’ll knit you a sweater.” Casta said warmly. “Yeah, I’m gonna pass on the sweater.” Because as relieved as she were, she was not going to wear those ugly sweaters, ever. “I’m really tired. What do you say to taking a rest on the beach?” Catra offered. 

Catra had another startling nightmare. “Sparkles?” “Right here, Catra.” Looking around to see her friends, she was relieved enough to drift off to sleep, unaware that they were still being watched, albeit by someone their own age. Adora was still scrying on them, tears on her eyes. It now genuinely seemed that Catra was on her own will, and that she actually chose the Rebellion and her new friends before Adora. But she fervently denied this, though she knew Catra abandoned her deep down. Adora, seeing as Catra was extremely protective of her friends, had a new idea. 'If we can't get her to come, then maybe capturing her 'friends' might…'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I was satisfied with this chapter mostly, especially the part where she confronts Shadow Weaver. Kudos and comments appreciated as always. Y'all should wait till episode 9, that's where the real twist comes in.


	8. Episode 8. Princess Prom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra loses everything.
> 
> Adora improvises.
> 
> Glimmer feels left out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for a thousand views! Kudos and comments appreciated as always.

“Hey, morons. I got an invite for the ‘All-Princess Ball, Winter Wonderland’. Sounds stupid. You guys know what this is?” The moment Catra finished speaking, the two bursted out dramatically. “Princess Prom!” “Princess Prom! Princess Prom! We are going to Princess Prom!” Catra watched in disbelief as the two were dancing, and sing-songing about the ‘Princess Prom’. “You idiots finally went nuts. I’ll come back later.” Bow catched her before she could leave. “The All-Princess Ball is a meeting of all the princesses of Etheria.” “And a giant party!” Glimmer added. “Dancing, food, fancy dresses.” “What does any of that mean?” Glimmer ignored Catra. “It only happens once a decade. I’ve been waiting years for this!” “Uh, I’m  _ not  _ a princess, Sparkles. Why would I-” “You  _ are  _ a princess, Catra! You’re She-Ra,  _ Princess  _ of Power.” “Oh, yeah. It’s all in the invite.” Bow dropped the lower half of the scroll, letting it roll across the room before running into a wall.

“Okay, then. Rules for greeting the hostess. Expected curt...sy...depth. Proper stair-descending...etiquette? This is ridiculous. Typical Princessery.” Catra thought this whole thing was ridiculous. “The Ball has been going on for centuries. There’s a lot of really old etiquette stuff you gotta do before you can party.” Bow made an excuse. “But it’s gonna be so fun! And Princess Frosta is hosting this year in the Kingdom of Snows. Her magic is incredibly powerful. She’d be a huge get for the Rebellion.” “Yeah, I’m not going.” “But you  _ have  _ to go! It’ll be fun!” “I don’t think I could last a minute in there without breaking a rule.” “Don’t worry. I’ll be right there with you, and so will Bow, since he’s going as my plus one.” “Uh… Actually...” Glimmer ignored him. “Together, the three of us can handle  _ anything _ .” “About that...” “It’s the best friend squad in action. Right, Bow?”

“I’m going with Perfuma.” “What?” Glimmer screamed. “Awkward~” Catra chimed in. A few minutes later, they were talking it out. “She asked and I said yes. I didn’t think it would be a big deal.” “It’s not. It’s fine. I’m just surprised. I mean, when did you even talk about it?” “Oh. She was super slick. It was back in the Horde siege camp in Plumeria, when we bumped into each other fighting the Horde. She was like ‘Wanna go to the Ball with me?’ and I said ‘Okay!’.” “That’s super slick?” “I thought it would be fun! And Perfuma’s cool.” “Yeah, she’s fine. But we always go to events together. We have all our routine, we wear matching outfits, we share inside jokes, and then we eat ice cream afterwards. It’s our thing.” Glimmer said, hoping to sway Bow back to her side. “Well, there’s nothing wrong with a new thing.” Leaving a sad Glimmer behind, he said “Look, I gotta get ready. We’ll hang out with you guys there.” “But I liked our old thing.”

“Scorpia! You know how Catra’s brainwashed, right? There’s only one more feasible chance to get her back, and that’s Princess Prom! And I heard in Force Captain Orientation that you’re a princess, so that means I can go with you as your plus one. I have a plan that will hopefully strike a blow to the Rebellion  _ and  _ get Catra back. You in?” Scorpia wasn’t listening. “I’m hanging out in your room! Again!” She chuckled. “Scorpia, you’ve said this the many times I let you in.” “Because we’re best friends.” “Scorpia, just help me with this one, okay?” Adora snapped. Then realized what she’s done. “I’m sorry. It’s just that this is the last chance to get Catra back. I need to strike a blow to the Rebellion to justify this mission. I need to get Catra because she’s my best friend. How can I do both?” Adora asked Scorpia, not necessarily wanting an answer back. 

“I don’t know, but I also think Princess Prom’s your best shot. Ooh! This year’s theme is Winter Wonderland. I can send you as my plus one if you want.” “What about you? Aren't you going?” Adora asked. “Oh, no, I’m not going. No. No one liked my family, even before we joined the Horde. I… I never really... ‘fit’ with the other princesses. I made them uncomfortable and… yeah, they don’t like that. They don’t like me.” Adora was furious. Scorpia’s predicament reminded her of Catra, who was also shunned for being different. Not seeing her true side, only the sides that made them uncomfortable. She stood up for Catra, and she wasn’t going to just watch as Scorpia got shunned, either. “You know what? Scorpia, you  _ should _ go. How dare they shun you, just because you look different? How dare they cast you aside just for not fitting in?” “Yeah!” “How dare they kidnap and brainwash best friends into becoming giant sword ladies?” “You’re telling my whole life with your words.” “Well, it’s time to show those princesses a thing or two. We’re going, and we’re going to make Princess Prom a night no one will ever forget.” She was squeezed by Scorpia. “Super Pal Duo is going to Prom!” “And soon, it’ll be Super Pal Trio.” Adora added, hoping what she said would be true.

Meanwhile, Glimmer was testing Catra on her manners. This was take #23, and she had barely gotten through basic manners like bowing and shaking hands. And takes #9 to #18 would have been fine if Catra wasn’t playing around with ear tufts or grooming her arms. “Ugh! Forget this for now! What are you wearing for prom?” “Uh… I was gonna go as She-Ra? Isn’t that the whole point of the invite?” Catra was confused. “Well, you can’t go as She-Ra. They have a strict ‘no weapons’ rule. Neutral ground and all.” “I can turn into She-Ra first then leave the Sword.” a compromise. “Nope. She-Ra classifies as a weapon of mass destruction. Wait. You know what this means?” “No Sword?” “No! Yes! But what I was going to say was… It’s makeover time!” Glimmer found a nice burgundy suit to fit her tomboyishness, and makeup was going to be natural, to suit her wild look. In the Fright Zone, Adora and Scorpia decided on a dress. To be exact, Scorpia decided on a dress, and also decided that Adora wear a dress, too. “It just fits you.” Scorpia had said. Back in Bright Moon, Bow was wearing a nice suit, a belt to cover his midriff, which he ripped away, and a Bow tie. Scorpia was trying out various new dresses, each one with a unique flavor of bad taste. Bow gave Perfuma a flower necklace. Catra finally learned how to keep her grooming instincts at bay. Scorpia decided on a black dress, with accessories that resembled the family runestone, the Black Garnet. Adora made a diagram showing the inner relations of the Princesses, and an obstacle course which she and Scorpia cheerfully navigated through. And finally, Adora’s plan, which she briefed to Scorpia and the Horde squad in detail. so they were done, and it was time for Princess Prom.

"If there is so much as a dent in the Sword, I'll scratch your face out." Catra threatened the poor officer who was just doing her job. The officer seemed mostly unaffected by her, until she unsheathed her claws. The officer then made an effort to show that the Sword was in good hands, gently placing it down in the ‘Valuables’ shelf. Only then Catra was satisfied. Once she entered the party, Catra could only gaze in awe. It was big. Its splendour even rivaled that of Bright Moon’s, and she could see all kinds of people-mostly royalty, though- doing all kinds of things. The loud noises kinda overwhelmed her magicat senses, though. “The Ball is one of our most ancient traditions. A princess’s first ball is a huge rite of passage. Plus, the Kingdom of Snows is  _ really  _ big.” “Which is why we need Frosta?” “Yes.”

Glimmer bowed, and Catra, too, after being nudged. When Catra got up, she saw a child on the throne. She wasn’t going to blurt anything out, though. “She’s like ten.” Catra whispered to Glimmer. Glimmer nudged her again. “Revered hostess. We come into your hall under the ancient rules of hospitality, bringing greetings form Bright Moon. And She-Ra, the legendary warrior.” The crowd murmured at the mention of She-Ra. Catra waved her hand, smiling. Frosta seemed indifferent, though. “You are welcome in the Kingdom of Snows under the ancient rules of hospitality. Leave conflict at the door, and please enjoy the ball.”

“Thanks, your majesty.” Catra said. Then she and Glimmer was abruptly pushed out. “What was that about?” Catra complained. “She’s busy as the host, I guess. But it’s fine, we have plenty of time to win her over.” “Now come on, let’s rock this ball!” But Glimmer’s heart wasn’t into it. Without Bow, the environment seemed especially foreign. Catra, noticing her dejectedness, searched for anything familiar. It seemed wise to not mention Bow, since Glimmer was also famous for a temper. “There’s robot princess!” She dragged Glimmer to where Entrapta was. Entrapta slided down from one of the pillars. “Catra! Glimmer! Are you here to watch the social experiment, too?” “What?” Catra asked. "Different groups are thrown together and forced to mingle. Hierarchies form and break. It's the perfect place to observe behavior.  _ And  _ they have tiny food." With her hair, Entrapta pointed at her back pocket, which was filled with tiny food. Then Entrapta ruined it again. "Where's Bow? I wanna show him my new recorder." "He's coming later." Glimmer folded her arms, not looking at Entrapta. "Why didn't he come with you? Aren't you friends?" The ever unaware Entrapta asked, provoking Glimmer further. Catra pushed Entrapta away, but the damage was done. "Why would she think we're not friends? How could she think that Bow and I are just..." Glimmer's rant went on and on, when the man in question walked in. Bow. But he wasn't alone. Arms crossed, Bow and Perfuma walked in gracefully while the two were talking about things. Things Glimmer didn't know about. Glimmer was green with envy. “They’re  _ matching.  _ That’s  _ our  _ best friend thing!” Entrapta somehow found her way to Glimmer and Catra’s side again. “Feelings seem to be getting hurt.”

Mermista found them, was excited to see them, and walked up like she didn’t care. ‘Perfect,’ she thought. Or it would’ve been, if Sea Hawk didn’t ruin it. “Hey, I’m here too. Don’t make a big thing out of it.” She said nonchalantly, kinda frustrated that Glimmer was paying attention to perfuma and not her. “They’re making up their own inside jokes? What? Is Perfuma his new best friend now?” Catra had enough of this. “Sparkles, I know you didn’t mean ‘best friends’ when you said ‘best friends’. Now let’s go somewhere else, where we won’t have to see miss ‘turn on, tune in, drop out’.” “Not gonna get into whatever’s happening here.” Mermista stated. Entrapta crawled up to Catra again, this time observing that people were ‘walking around in circles’. “Or that.” Mermista added. “Look, have you seen-” she was interrupted by a shanty, one that made her eyes widen in embarrassment. “She’s a beauty, can’t you see? She’s attending this with me~ She’s my princess of the sea, Mer _ mista _ ~” Mermista facepalmed, while Catra was cackling like a mad magicat. “Shanty man is your plus one? Oh, this is gonna be-” “He’s-he’s just my ride.” Mermista said, quietly but firmly. “Oh, hey, it’s my crew!” Sea Hawk said while laying a hand on Mermista’s shoulder, showing affection. “I am Mermista’s plus one, if you haven’t noticed.” Sea Hawk bragged, twirling his mustache. Entrapta was amused, apparently. “This is the best social experiment I’ve ever been to!” “Whatever. Do they have a kelp bar here?” Mermista tried to get away from Sea Hawk, and Catra, most of all. “Why? Does  _ Sea Hawk  _ like kelp?” Catra still managed to fit one teasing remark, though. Mermista groaned her signature groan, and quickly walked away with Sea Hawk, who yelled “To the buffet! Adven- Oh, hi, Bow.”

Bow and Perfuma walked up to Glimmer and Catra. Catra groaned. It seemed like she was going to have to do the nudging now. “Hey, Arrow Bo-” “Ahahaha, that’s so funny, Catra! What a  _ funny inside joke  _ the two of us just came up with!” Catra had a choice. Would she play along with Glimmer and her petty ‘best friends’ shenanigans? Or would she reveal the truth right now? She heavily leaned towards breaking Glimmer’s facade, when she realized there was a variable she hadn’t considered. Angella. She would be furious if she found out she had been humiliated in front of everyone, since Glimmer was socially awkward to begin with. And Catra didn’t want to incur her wrath. 

Perfuma was the first to greet Catra and Glimmer. “The She-Ra, Glimmer. It’s great to see you.” “Perfuma was just telling me about a winged panther that chased its reflection in the mirror before flying away! Sound familiar?” Bow told them of Swift Wind’s recent misadventure. “Sure. Whatever. Isn’t this fun? Catra and I are having  _ such _ a great time here together. Just the two of us! Right, Catra?” Catra was busy munching on a mouse she found scurrying on the floor, but she replied anyways, the tail still poking out of her mouth. “Uh, yeah. Sparkles and I are having a great time.”

“O-kay. Uh, we’re gonna say hi to people. You wanna come?” Bow asked sincerely, to which Glimmer answered insincerely. “ _ No,  _ you guys go on. We’ll find you later. I wanna hear the rest of this hilarious story that Catra was just telling.” Glimmer was saddened by the fact that Bowfuma didn’t even let her finish the sentence before walking away. While grooming herself, Catra found that Frosta was alone. “Sparkles, Frosta’s alone. Hello?” Glimmer just was staring longingly at Bowfuma. “Nevermind, then. I’ll talk things over with the little tyke.” 

Kyle was scared. Perhaps it was because they were in to-be-enemy territory. Perhaps it was because this was a high-stakes mission, with Catra and their lives on the line. Or maybe it was because he was on the edge of a cliff, loading highly explosive bombs onto the castle’s foundations. He just wished Rogelio was with him. Due to his reptilian nature, he could not be out in the cold, forcing Kyle to load up the explosives alone while Lonnie did something else. But soon, he was done, and he reported in to Adora. “Force Captain, I loaded up the bombs. Am I done here?” “You can call me Adora, Kyle. We’ve been over this. And yes, you can come back in. It’s my turn now.”

“Hey there, princess Frosta.” Catra asked, talking down to her. “I would advise you to talk to your hostess with more respect.” Frosta replied curtly. “Oh. I’m sorry, revered hostess. Sorry for being rude.” Catra wasn’t actually sorry, but she would do what she would have to do to recruit Frosta for the rebellion. “Yes, you were. But as you’re only an  _ honorary _ princess, you can’t be expected to know better.” If Catra was her old self, she would have mauled Frosta for the belittling attitude of hers. But Catra had grown, and she had more patience. Slightly more. Clenching her fist, she changed the subject. “This castle is magnificent, princess Frosta. I’m  _ honored _ to be here.” She said in a more respectful tone, though she couldn’t stop some of the hostility from leaking out. “Thank you. And now I expect you’re going to ask me to join your rebellion?” “How’d you know about that?” Catra was surprised. “Of course I do. Princesses talk, you know?” A bartender approached her with a plate of snow peas and cookies, in a state unsatisfactory to the ice-cold princess. “The snow peas and the cookies are touching. Do it  _ right _ .” 

“Princess, the Rebellion needs you. Your kingdom is the strongest and biggest. You could be the key in defeating the Horde.” Catra squatted down, approaching her from her eye level. “The Horde hasn’t threatened us here.” “Only because this kingdom doesn’t matter to Hordak! What would happen if he found this kingdom of interest?” Frosta approached Catra point blank, and Catra was intimidated. Her old habits coming back, she did what she always does when she got intimidated; she laughed before promptly shutting herself up. Frosta, now even more angry, rejected her offer. “The Kingdom of Snows has defended itself perfectly well, for thousands of years. We do not need your ‘help’, or your Rebellion. Please continue to enjoy the ball.” 

While this disastrous discourse went over, Bowfuma were talking about their inside jokes and whatnot to the crowd of princesses and their plus ones. “Perfuma was just telling me about a winged panther that chased its own reflection!” Glimmer watched Bow talk, to the princesses. A snarling Catra walked up to her, then sat down on the nearest seat. “Where have you been?” Glimmer asked. “Talking to Princess Bratty over there, if you haven’t listened, Sparkles.” Then she remembered Glimmer’s predicament. “You okay?” Seeing that Glimmer was staring at Bow, she told Glimmer to get over it. “Get over it, Arrow Boy can play with other friends, too! Why do  _ you _ care about  _ his _ friends?” “I don’t! Bow can hang out with whoever he wants. I just… I never had that many friends, okay? It’s always been just me and Bow. But now, what if he likes his new friends better than me? What if  _ everyone  _ does?”

Catra was trying to find a way to cheer her up. Partly because she didn’t like hearing Glimmer cry over Bowfuma, but also because she didn’t like to see her friend so down, though she wouldn’t admit it if someone asked her about it. So she searched the deepest recess of her memories, of the time Lonnie was introduced to the Horde Squad. “Look, Sparkles. I never had that many friends, either. It was just me and Adora, and I know what it feels like. Adora once befriended another girl called Lonnie, and I was mad at Adora for befriending her! But I was actually… afraid that she wouldn’t like me anymore.” Glimmer stared at Catra with her eyes widened, Catra’s expression timid. “But she never didn’t like me, and eventually Lonnie and I got close...  _ in a way _ , too. So… don’t worry about it, okay?” Then she patted Glimmer twice in the back.

“Did… Did you just open yourself up to me?” Glimmer asked. Catra realized too late what she had done. “This was a bad idea. Just forget about it.” Then she stormed away, just to be stopped by Glimmer yelling “Wait!” Catra turned around, and was immediately hugged by Glimmer. “Thank you, Catra.” Catra blushed, then groaned as she pushed her away. She didn’t feel bad, though. She felt better, as if she was a good person. And that’s when she saw them. The scorpion lady and Adora. 

Adora and Scorpia gave a bow to Frosta, not fazed at her age due to her briefing at Force Captain Orientation. That’s when Glimmer and Catra ran in, interrupting their greetings. “Princess Frosta, you can’t let them in! They’re from the Horde!” Adora, though her eyes indicated she was glad, rebutted her point as if she was completely unaffected. “Revered hostess,  _ Princess  _ Scorpia was invited, as per the rules of the ball. That I, uh, respect very much.” Catra could see through her game. She was trying to aggravate Catra, though for what she didn’t know. So she played it cool. “I didn’t know she was invited, revered hostess.” Then kissing Scorpia’s claw, she said to Scorpia, “I hope you enjoy the ball.”, giving a mischievous wink at her. Now Adora was the one slightly riled up. 

“That’s… it?” Adora asked Catra. “Of course! You're guests on neutral grounds! What could I possibly have a problem with?” Catra replied smoothly. Adora now realized she had to change her plans. So she searched for something to provoke the Bright Moon princess with. “Hey, where’s the archer guy?” Adora asked, so casually even Catra thought the question was genuine at first. And it poked Glimmer at all the wrong places. Barely restraining Glimmer, she could only watch as Scorpia and Adora split up.

Finally managing to calm Glimmer down, Catra and Glimmer agreed to split up to look for the guests from the Horde. Catra would look out for Adora, and Glimmer Scorpia. Glimmer, seeing that Scorpia was filling herself, took the opportunity to catch up with Bow. “Bow! Wait up!” “Glimmer! Hi.” “There’s something I need to tell you. I know things between us have been weird all night. So, I just wanted to say-” “It’s all right. I accept your-” Bow was anticipating an apology. What he got was forgiveness that he shouldn’t have got. “I forgive you.” Bow let go of Glimmer’s hands, visibly maddened. “You forgive me? Glimmer, I’m allowed to hang out with other people.” “Bowbowbow, don’t you see? That’s how it starts! Then suddenly everyone has new friends and nobody needs me anymore, and then I’m all alone!” “What are you talking about? You have me, plus Catra, and everyone who joined the Rebellion.” “That’s what I’m talking about! It used to be the two of us, and now everything’s changing! I don’t want you to leave me behind!” Bow now understood where Glimmer was coming at, but that didn’t mean what Glimmer did was acceptable. “No one is leaving you behind! I wanted to hang out with you and Adora  _ and _ Perfuma tonight, but you’re the one who keeps being weird and leaving. I know change is scary, Glimmer, but you don’t get to take it out on me.” Bow let go of Glimmer once again. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get my cummerbund, because it’s freezing in here. We’ll talk later, okay?”

Adora watched from afar as the drama unfolded. She knew this was the crack to chip away at Glimmer from, and she knew this was the chance. So she approached Glimmer. “You okay? It seemed like your friend there’s pretty mad.” Glimmer turned around, shocked to see Adora. “Catra was following me, but I lost her. Somehow.” “What do you want?” “You know, at Force Captain Orientation, they told me that the ones in charge of the operations of the Rebellion were friends.” “We are!” Glimmer yelled, drawing the attention of the people near her. “Well, it didn’t seem that way. It seemed like he was closer to the Plumerian princess?” Glimmer couldn’t take it anymore, and shot a bolt of light at Adora, knocking her down. Adora made a fuss, making sure Frosta noticed. Shards of ice rose up, first knocking Glimmer off her feet, then surrounding her with ice, not letting her move. Frosta was understandably displeased. “Princess Ball is a ceremony of unity. Violence is strictly forbidden. As hostess, in accordance with the rules set down over the centuries, I hereby  _ revoke  _ your invitation. You are to leave my kingdom and never, ever, come back.” So Glimmer obliged. On her way out, she was sucker-stung by Scorpia, knocking her out. 

Catra finally found Adora, on the dance floor. She was dancing with a muscular woman, until Catra took her hand. “Hey! I was enjoying that dance!” Adora feigned innocence. “I saw you provoke Glimmer. Where did she go?” Adora knew where she was, but she also learned how to lie. “I don’t know. Probably outside?” Adora smirked. “I don’t know what you’re up to, but I’m walking out of here with Glimmer, Bow,  _ and _ Frosta’s support.” But Catra was unsure if Adora even had something to do with this. Perhaps it was just Glimmer and her well-earned prejudice to Horde soldiers. “Oh, you might have a hard time with the last one. We’re here for Frosta, too.” Adora worded this perfectly, in a way that would arouse suspicion. “What?” “I mean her allegiance! Don-don’t take this the wrong way!” Adora blubbered. This gave Catra all the information she needed. Though the information was just what Adora wanted her to have.

Adora lingered around Frosta, making sure Catra was watching. This was going to be fun. And sure enough, Catra took the bait, watching Adora fiddle around. Adora took the time to initiate small talk to Catra, about the life in the Horde, and how she should try to fight the Sword’s control, and how she missed her.

Bow, on the other hand, finally calmed down enough to talk. So he searched for Glimmer, to talk about them and the others, when he saw Scorpia take an unconscious Glimmer somewhere isolated. What Bow didn’t know was that Scorpia had been dragging Glimmer through various isolated places in the castle, in hopes of getting noticed. All part of the plan. So when Bow finally found her and followed her, she took relief in stinging him, too. Then she called Kyle and Lonnie, who helped her load the bodies in her craft. 

Adora, having heard the news that all three other objectives have been secured, finally made her move. She pulled out a stun baton, then lunged at Frosta, knocking her out. The castle guards surrounded her, along with Catra. “I have this set to lethal! Come any closer and you’ll have an even longer regency!” Catra, not scared of her threat, slowly approached Adora. “Adora, I know you don’t have it in you to kill.” Adora smirked. This would be a good time to test her bluffing skills in a real situation. “Catra, you also thought I couldn’t lie. Shadow Weaver taught me a lot of things while you were gone, and I’m willing to use it to get you back. Are you really risking Frosta’s life on this?” Catra reluctantly backed away. Adora slowly headed for the exit, then ordered Kyle to set off the bombs. 

With a bang, the ground started shaking as the foundations started giving out. Unfortunately for Adora, however, this shook the runestone Fractal Flake, which as a defence mechanism, woke Frosta up. Seeing her move, Adora threw Frosta to the ground and made a break for it. Catra followed, Frosta realizing what was going on and heading to the Fractal Flake to fix the castle. She resonated her energy with that of the runestone’s, causing the collapse of the castle to stop and slowly be undone. Meanwhile, Adora was frantically running away from Catra, which was hard since Catra was always faster than her. But she only needed to run a short distance before- Adora was tackled by Catra, the magicat now trying to land a hit on her. She rolled and kicked Catra away before hitching a ride on one of the castle’s fragments, which was on its way to being restored. Catra quickly followed suit. There, she exchanged blows and conversation. 

“Catra, I know this hurts you, but it’s for your own good!” Adora said, as she barely dodged a kick from Catra. “For my own good? You kidnapped my friends for my own good?” “Argh!” this time, a hit landed on Adora. She had to go easy on Catra. She couldn’t bring herself to hurt Catra, and she knew in her enraged state, Catra wouldn’t think the same of her. But she only had to hold out until the ship arrived. Which it did, revealing the unconscious body of her friends, Scorpia, Lonnie and Kyle, as well as a sleeping Rogelio. But most importantly, her sword. Adora jumped into the craft, landing with a yelp. “I’m sorry, Catra. But I had to do this.” And Catra was alone, with nothing left…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was this one a bit short and/or not logically sound? I personally had a lot of doubt writing this one. But this was the best I could come up with, and I hope to get bashed by your constructive criticism.


	9. Episode 9. No Friend Left Behind (No Princess Left Behind)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra comes to the rescue.
> 
> Adora makes an impulsive decision.
> 
> Glimmer breaks free a little too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Oh no! What do you mean by Glimmer breaks free a little too late?"  
> Well, read and find out. Kudos and comments, especially constructive criticisms appreciated.  
> Also, thanks to valkyrie_exe for leaving constructive criticism like every other chapter! Really appreciated.

Adora held the Sword, and handed it over to Shadow Weaver. She tried to ignore the feeling that the Sword was trying to talk to her. “The mission was a success, Shadow Weaver. The princess and her companion are captured, and She-Ra is neutralized.” “Yes, Adora. Now this is the potential I saw in you. And soon, Catra will be yours once again.” Shadow Weaver sweet talked Adora. The screen in the Black Garnet chamber flared on. 

“Shadow Weaver.” It was Hordak. “My lord.” “I commend you on the capture of the princess of Bright Moon. Queen Angella has been given until the morning’s moonrise to surrender herself to our forces.” Hordak was smiling. It seemed like he was pleased with Adora’s work. “Thank you, Lord Hordak. I thought you would be pleased with  _ my _ work.” ‘What?’ Adora thought. She did the planning to the execution. Why would Shadow Weaver be credited? “You have proven your worth to me. Today.” Then the transmission was closed. “Shadow Weaver,  _ I  _ was the one who captured the princess.” “You’re under my command, Force Captain. Therefore, anything you manage to do right is credited to me.” “Yes, Shadow Weaver.” Adora replied sheepishly.

Adora wasn’t actually that mad. What mattered was either Catra would come back for them and get captured, or Queen Angella would surrender, practically putting the nail on the coffin that was the Rebellion. Either way, Catra would return to her soon. Just as it should be.

Adora walked out of the room, coinciding with the time Glimmer woke up, trapped in some kind of magical field. “Welcome to the Fright Zone, princess.” Then shadows surrounded her…

Catra walked into the meeting room, now devoid of anyone except for one concerned parent. Queen Angella was many things; an excellent statesman, a benevolent queen, the leader of the Rebellion… But the thing she prided herself most on was being the mother of a brave soul named Glimmer. And now she was gone, whisked away by the nefarious forces of the Horde. “Your Majesty.” Catra called in a solemn tone, with none of her trademark mischief. “I should’ve never let her leave this castle.” Angella said, regretting everything. First Micah, now her. “And now, I’m faced with an impossible decision. As leader of the Rebellion, how can I surrender myself to our enemy?” But she wasn’t just a leader. “And yet, as a mother, how do I...” Angella sighed. Then came to a decision. “I’m going to accept Hordak’s terms. Glimmer is all I have.” “You can’t. They’ll never keep their promise! We could lose you, too.” Catra said, now thinking of her more than just her superior, but as some kind of found family. 

“A rescue attempt is too risky. If we had She-Ra we might have a chance, but without the Sword of Protection...” The words, though no malintent behind it, were daggers to Catra’s heart. Thanks to Adora, there was nothing she could do. Or was there? “There has to be another way. We can’t just give up. I can still do it, I know the Fright Zone like the back of my hand. I’ll get them back, somehow.” Angella, still with no hope, asked out of desperation. “How are you going to do that?” Catra didn’t know. “I’ll… I’ll do it somehow, okay? I’ll bring them home, all of them.” 

Catra started breaking down into tears while she walked down the halls of Bright Moon, due to her having goals without having the means to achieve them. Then she felt a familiar uncomfortable sensation-pollen. She looked up, to see the princesses and Sea Hawk. “What are you doing here?” “We’re the Princess Alliance. And the Horde took one of our own. We’re ready for our first mission.” Perhaps she did have the means. “Let’s go get Sparkles and Arrow Boy back.”

In the prisoner array of the Fright Zone, Kyle took a horde standard prisoner’s ration bar-actually half a brown ration bar mixed with literal dust- and handed them over in his most intimidating way. “Dinner rations,  _ prisoner. _ ” Bow refused to take the plate. Kyle, being the goofball he was, held the plate until the force field closed back up, nearly cutting his hands off, and burning his finger. “Ow!” Kyle turned back, and put his burnt finger in his mouth and sucked on it. Bow saw an opportunity to talk to him, and maybe get him to talk about the whereabouts of Glimmer. “Hey. What’s your name?” “Me? You’re talking to me?” Kyle asked back, timidly. “Sure. Is that all right?” “Uhh, I guess, but no one ever talks to me.” Then he smiled. “I’m Kyle.” “Hey, Kyle. I’m Bow. Can you do me a favor? Can you tell me where they’re holding the princess?” “Princess?” Kyle was alarmed by his request. “She’s my best friend. No one will let me talk to her or even tell me if she’s okay.” Kyle was certain the hostage would be treated well. “Ah, I’m sure she’s fine.” But then, it  _ was  _ the Horde. “Maybe. Or she’s not. I don’t know.” Bow approached Kyle, facing him. “Do you know where she is?” Kyle didn’t know.. “No, that kind of information is classified. They wouldn’t tell me.” Kyle mumbled the last sentence. “You have to help me get a message to her.” Kyle was scared, of what could happen. Kyle was just a coward, he himself knew it. “Uh, uhh, I better be leaving now.” “No, wait!” There went his shot. “I like your shirt!” Kyle was courteous enough to add before leaving. “Kyle!”

In Glimmer’s bedroom, Catra was briefing the four. “This is the Horde Prison, Sparkles and Arrow Boy are being held inside. Robot princess, this perfume bottle is you. Flower Girl, you’re nail polish. Gills, lipstick.” Robot princess was Entrapta, Flower Girl was Perfuma, and Gills was Mermista. Mermista had an objection. “Ew. Do you know what that stuff is made of?” Pulling out a knife, she finished her point. “I’ll be this knife.” “I feel like  _ Perfuma  _ should be the  _ perfume  _ bottle.” Entrapta added. “That makes the most logical sense. And referring to us in nicknames is inefficient.” “Maybe I could be a flower.” Perfuma chimed in. “Could I be this miniature painted model of Bow?” Sea Hawk said, picking up three figurines each in the shape of Glimmer, Bow, and Catra. Catra was getting irritated. “No. Those are Sparkles and Arrow Boy’s, and this one’s mine.” The four stared at Catra as she placed them on a nearby table. “Arrow Bo-Bow made them for us. Just focus, okay?” 

“We’ll be getting through here, near the Horde scrapyard. First, Entrapta and Perfuma will disable the lights, by climbing on one of the watchtowers. Perfuma, you need to keep a close eye on Entrapta because she  _ will  _ mess around with any piece of tech she sees. Then, Sea Hawk and Mermista will neutralize the guards. Meanwhile, I’ll sneak in through the vents and open the door for you guys. I considered making Mermista use the sewers to open the doors, but I know that there’s a garbage shredder at the sewer’s end, so yeah.” Catra had known this from many years of sewer duty, where she daydreamed about Shadow Weaver getting ground by the turbines. “Mermista. You  _ will _ keep Sea Hawk in line. This is important. Nothing can go wrong. If anything does, we might lose Glimmer and Bow forever.”

The plan didn’t go as Catra wanted to. Perfuma and Entrapta climbed up the tower with a vine, and hair respectively. But then, Entrapta got distracted. “Fright Zone log day one. I can barely contain my excitement! Ha-ha!” She opened the lid to peek inside the machinery. “Hmm. The Horde’s using an outdated wiring system. It really would work so much better if I just consolidated these conduits and rerouted the current here...” Perfuma stopped Entrapta, who was modifying the machinery to perform at 200% its normal performance. “Entrapta? Now would be a good time for those lights.” Expecting some kind of hacking, Perfuma was surprised to see Entrapta just snap one of the wires.

Mermista, meanwhile, was listening to one of Sea Hawk’s shanties. “We’re on a rescue mission, for some rescu… fication!” Sea Hawk was proud of the rhyme, when two Horde soldiers noticed the cacophony and almost zapped Mermista. After two minutes of grimy, brutal fighting, the Salinean couple came out victorious. This took away precious time, however.

Catra went into the vents, then found out there was more personnel near the vents than usual. Three times more usual, to be exact. This was Adora’s work. But Catra kept secrets from everyone, and Adora was not exempt. She crawled out through a vent only she knew, and sneaked her way to the entrance with the very uncomfortable Horde uniform. Unfortunately, it meant there was still a delay. Unfortunately, as small as the delay was, it was still enough time for Sea Hawk to get whisked away by Scorpia, who would show him around to see that the place was up to code.

Bow was visited again, but this time by a blonde who went by the name Adora. Adora looked a bit timid, and Bow rightfully mad. It almost seemed like Adora was the one behind the force field, trapped. "Your name is Bow, right? You're not a princess." Bow didn't answer, instead opting to stare at the wall. "C'mon, I have to save my friend. You have friends, too, right?" This made Bow remember what Catra said: that Adora was 'misguided', and that she thought Catra was brainwashed. Bow now realized Adora had to be reasoned to. 

"You're Adora, right? Catra told me all about you." Adora was visibly shaken. "She misses you a lot, though she won't admit it to us." Adora wanted to cry, that their friendship was strong enough that she still missed her even after being brainwashed. But she had to be strong. "What did the Rebellion do to Catra, and how do I reverse it?" “Adora, Catra said you’re a good person, so could you listen to me just for a minute?” Bow said, in his most gentle voice. “...Fine. But you have to tell me how to get Catra back to normal.” Bow silently nodded. “Adora, have you considered the possibility that the Horde isn’t as good as you thought you were? Take Thaymor for example. You didn’t encounter any resistance then, right?” But Adora did. Not on her first time, but her second. Fortunately, they only got away with only a few wounded. “Actually, I revisited Thaymor and there was a lot of armed resistance. Why would you lie about that?” Bow was confounded by the mention of armed resistance in Thaymor. “But I didn’t. Thaymor is harmless. Adora, maybe that was a false flag operation.” “Very likely.” Adora said sarcastically. “Okay, then. Catra said you saw us at Mystacor. Then you must’ve seen how we’ve been treating her, right? Like our friend!” Adora hesitated. This did shake her up. But now she’d rationalized it, too; since Catra’s perception was warped, she was not her cold self to the Rebels, only to Adora and the Horde. “That’s only because she thought of you as friends!” “But we’re friends.” “Shut up! There’s no way that Catra would befriend people that easily.” “Adora… she’s really changed, and for the better since she came here. And you can, too!” Adora couldn’t take it anymore. She could feel herself being compromised. “All right. The minute’s over. Just tell me how to get Catra back to normal.” Bow scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, about that… Catra isn’t under our control. She joined on her free will.” Adora was furious. “You… You promised! You’re just like the princesses!” Then she stormed away, too afraid to hear what Bow had to say.

Once Catra opened the entrance with a smug look on her face, she was greeted with four people. Sea Hawk had been taken, but they would find him and get out whole. The three hid in a janitor’s room. It took a few moments until Mermista found someone was missing. “Hey, where’s geek princess?” Perfuma finally lost her temper. “Okay, she is seriously putting a crimp in my harmony.” Catra tried to remain optimistic despite herself. “It’s all right. We’ll get her. And Sea Hawk. And rescue Sparkles and Arrow Boy… great.” Mermista was going to say something snarky about the goal being hard to achieve, but realized that Catra knew that herself. But soon, they ran into a problem. Entrapta was the only one in the bunch that could actually hack/ operate the machines. Catra wasn’t really familiar with Horde technology due to Shadow Weaver never trusting her with it. So they were sidetracked to finding Entrapta, when a drone popped up! The three were ready to fight, when Entrapta-and Sea Hawk- popped up. 

Their story in between went like this.

Entrapta, distracted by the various bits and bobs of the Fright Zone, spoke into her recorder again. “Fright Zone Log, day one continued. Keypads appear in every corridor and are capable of giving status updates on multiple systems.” She was distracted from her distraction by a scrap collector bot. “Well. Hello there, little guy.” She followed the bot, to find yet another bot that was less harmless. Fortunately, Entrapta managed to ‘befriend’ it, and they were on their merry way outside the building. 

There, she found Sea Hawk, who was in distress. “Well, you Horde types run a tight ship, I must say. Everything seems to be up to code.” Then he tapped on a pipe, which immediately fell apart. He placed it gently on the pipe and pretended nothing happened. “Yes, indeed, entirely up to code. You pass with flying colors.” Finger guns to Scorpia. “Now, unless you have something else for me to inspect, I should get back home to my inspector children.” Unfortunately, he could deceive Scorpia no more. “You know, you look familiar.” Sea Hawk gulped. Then tried to joke it off. “Perhaps you’ve seen me, in your dreams?” ‘I’m sorry, my dearest,’ he thought inside. “No, that’s not it.” A beat. “Princess Prom! That’s where I know you from. I knew it would come to me. You were there with that mermaid.” “She has a name!” He blurted, then got back to denying his identity. “I mean, no, that wasn’t me.” Scorpia came to a shocking revelation. “You’re with the Rebellion.” Sea Hawk tried to find compromise. “Now, as a scrupulous inspector, threats… ahem, normally wouldn’t work on me. But in this case, uh, perhaps we can reach a compromise?” Then a sign behind to Sea Hawk came to life, Entrapta’s doing. “Duck?” Sea Hawk blurted out what was supposed to be instructions only he got. “Ooh, where?” Scorpia looked for the fauna in question. Sea Hawk saw a mechanical claw fly at him, so he ducked. “Oh! Duck.” Scorpia didn’t quite get the memo, and was promptly knocked out. 

“Hiiiii.” Entrapta, like the cavalry she was, made her way to Sea Hawk on the droid she reprogrammed. “Whoo! That was a top notch rescue.” Sea Hawk was relieved, until Entrapta said: “To be honest, I wasn’t sure which one I was gonna hit.” Sea Hawk went with Entrapta anyways, to the main crew. They had prisoners to rescue.

  
  
  


“It’s okay. This is my new friend, Emily.” she said, patting the drone. “I reprogrammed her.” Then she handed Sea Hawk to a worried Mermista, then answered Perfuma’s “Where have you been?” with a “Where have  _ you  _ been?” Catra groaned, then Mermista groaned too, forming a sarcastic harmony. “Let’s just do this. Twintails, hack into this, please.” Catra made sure to add a ‘please’. Entrapta did with pleasure.

Meanwhile, at the Black Garnet chamber, Glimmer tried to escape to no avail. “I should warn you, princess. Any attempt to teleport through these restraints will only cause you pain. It seems my Black Garnet and your powers don’t mix. Besides, your mother will be here soon.” Glimmer wasn’t falling for that anytime soon. “I know all about you and your mind games, Shadow Weaver. Catra told me about it, so, save it. And by the way, she’s not a fan.” Except it wasn’t a trick. “But I’m not playing games. What I said about Queen Angella is true.” Shadow Weaver said in mock surprise. “She is coming to surrender herself in exchange for your safety.” Then her voice changed once again, this time fake sympathy. “Oh, it’s a shame, the toll this Rebellion has taken on your family. First, you lose your father and now...” Glimmer, though in despair, still found defiance. “She-Ra will stop you.” “There is no She-Ra.” Then she summoned the Sword, with her dark magic. “We have the Sword.” “And Catra can’t save you. There will be no one left to stop the Horde. In a few hours, Bright Moon will fall and Etheria will be ours to rule.” Glimmer tried to teleport out again, to teach the warlock a lesson. But sadly, she still could not break free. “Ooh, tsk tsk tsk tsk. Careful now. It would be a shame if we had no princess to exchange for the queen.”

Then after a while, Adora walked in. Shadow Weaver didn’t know she was here, of course. “All right, prisoner.” Glimmer just stared at her in defiance. "What did you do to Catra?" Adora asked. "Nothing! Have you considered that you're the bad guys here?" But Adora now knew all about princesses and their mind games. She wasn’t going to fall for it. “Princess, just tell me how to fix Catra, okay? Or else.” Adora said, pulling out her stun baton. Intimidation was one of Shadow Weaver’s first lessons. “There’s nothing to fix about Catra! She’s fine.” Intimidation, she was willing to use, but torture, she was not. Perhaps she would need to be coaxed in other ways. “I interrogated your friend, and  _ he  _ admitted it. So just tell me how to break it!” Then, Glimmer’s face, initially confused, contorted into anger. “If you laid  _ one  _ finger on Bow, I’ll make sure you pay!” It took a few seconds for Adora to figure out why Glimmer was so mad: she thought Adora tortured Bow until he gave an answer Adora wanted. But if that was true, that meant- Adora’s train of thought was violently derailed by the binding magic of Shadow Weaver. 

“Adora, who told you to enter without  _ my _ permission? And interacting with a prisoner? Has Catra’s insolence tainted you, even in her absence?” Adora grunted, and was forced to kneel by the magic squeezing her tighter. Then, Glimmer watched her in horror as Shadow Weaver wrapped her hands around Adora’s head. Then red lightning coursed through the sorceress to the Force Captain. “What… are you… doing?” Adora asked. “I don’t need to tell you. After all, you won’t remember a thing.”. The Force Captain collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Then Shadow Weaver called Lonnie. “Adora was attacked by the princess who briefly broke free of her restraints. Take her back to her quarters.” Lonnie, buying her lie, or perhaps seeing right through it but being smart enough to not question her, shot Glimmer a look before dragging Adora away. 

The five entered the prison array of the Horde. “Arrow Boy’s at section B, level 20. We’ll get him out first, then go for Sparkles.” She said. Entrapta didn’t listen, instead geeking out about the prison array’s well-structured control board. “Entrapta, can you get us up there?” She was certainly eager. “Yes, I can. I mean, maybe. I don’t know. I’m definitely gonna try.” Her confidence was diminished with every sentence, but her eagerness only grew. After a few operating mishaps, Entrapta got the hang of it. “Hahahahaha! This is gonna be fun!” “Okay. Tree hugger, mustache, you’re with me.” “I’ll stay here and keep an eye on this one, in case she tries to befriend any more robots.” Mermista said. “On to the rescue!” Sea Hawk shouted, as dramatic as always.

Bow, unaware of the rescue attempt going on near him, kicked at the force field. That’s when Kyle ran in. “Bow, Bow!” “Kyle?” “I’m supposed to be in the barracks. Lonnie made me cover her latrine duty.” “What’s going on?” Bow didn’t know why Kyle visited him again. “I found out where your friend is being kept. Shadow Weaver has her in the Black Garnet chamber.” “Oh. That sounds bad.” “Uh, yeah. It’s pretty bad. But she’s alive, at least.” Kyle secretly thought dying was a better alternative to having private time with Shadow Weaver, but Bow didn’t have to know that. “Shadow Weaver is planning to ransom her in exchange for the queen.” “Why are you telling me all this?”Bow was oblivious to why his enemy was telling him this. Grateful, but still. “I... don’t know. I guess, I guess because you’re the first person who’s ever listened to me.” Then he gave a pure smile to Bow. “I mean, I’m being held prisoner, so… I dunno if I have a choice, but sure!” Bow said, implicitly saying Kyle was free to rant to him, and thus began a rant that would even tire Bow.

The speed at which the walkways ascended was jarring, and it caught everyone on the walkway-Perfuma, Sea Hawk and Catra- off guard. Meanwhile, Lonnie, handing Kyle latrine duty while she handled the more dangerous jobs with Rogelio, saw the three Rebels ascending. Lonnie gasped in shock. Princesses? In the Fright Zone? Entrapta stopped the platform right on top of four Horde soldiers, including Lonnie and Rogelio. “Whoops! That’s not right.”, Entrapta said. Lonnie, an agile fighter, used Rogelio as a springboard to hop on the platform. “Entrapta!” Catra called out, to which Entrapta responded by pressing a random button that restarted the ascent. Perfuma fell out, and barely managed to hang on to Sea Hawk’s arm via her vines. “Hang on!” Catra yelled, then dodged a stun baton swipe. “You think you can just come back here?” Lonnie yelled in anger. Catra pulled out her claws and disarmed Lonnie, by scratching her hand. “I need to save my friends.” Lonnie was dazed. “Friends? Since when did you… We were your friends!”

Rogelio jumped onto one of the platforms, then made his way to the control center. Trying to set things to normal, Rogelio tried to operate the controls himself, when he was tightly bound by Entrapta’s hair. Being the clean freak that he was, Entrapta’s dirty hair certainly shocked him. Mermista took the opportunity to slam him against the controls, fazing him. Consequently, his face-dialing caused the platform to drop instead, forcing Catra to hold on to the platform to avoid being airborne. Lonnie was about to strike Catra in her time of weakness, when Perfuma shot out some plants to knock her off. Lonnie somersaulted, landed in another platform, and watched as they got away. 

“Catra, are you all right?” “Nice shot, flower girl.” “Great hit, Perfuma.” The two remaining soldiers were still left, however. While they were busy fighting, Kyle was busy ranting. And even Bow’s patience has run out. “No one’s ever asked for my help before. People here don’t think I can do anything right.” “Mm-hmm. That seems tough.” Then Bow noticed something far more interesting- a princess, a pirate, and a magicat fighting two Horde soldiers. “Why am I telling you this? I shouldn’t even be here. I’m gonna get in so much trouble if I get caught.” Bow tried to stall Kyle longer. “No, wait! Um... I mean, we’re just talking. How much trouble could you get in for talking?” This ignited yet another round of Kyle’s rants. “Oh, ho. You’d be surprised. I get in trouble for everything around here.” “Uh, that doesn’t seem fair.” But Bow’s heart wasn’t into it. “I know! But then I thought how brave you are for wanting to save your friend. And maybe, if I helped you, I could be your friend, too.” Perfuma had just bound two Horde grunts and sent them to the upper floor by a platform. “Uh, friends, sure, definitely.” Bow watched as Catra knocked Lonnie off her feet with a low sweep, then sent her off on the same platform. Kyle, then as a gesture of friendship, put his hand on the force field, a move reciprocated by Bow.

Rogelio, wrestling with Entrapta, was caught off guard by Mermista’s stream of water. But his reptilian strength, as well as his sturdy legs and tails, let him withstand the torrent. But when Entrapta tied his legs together, it was game over. He was thrown off the window, landing on an impatient Lonnie. “Good team, geek princess.” Then a high five, except Entrapta’s ‘hand’ was her hair.

Meanwhile, Kyle’s redemption arc was cut short as Sea Hawk threw him off the platform after finally managing to take care of the guards. “Goodbye!” Then he turned to Bow. “Bow! Haha. We’re here to save you.” Then, with a mean right hook, he destroyed the controls, freeing him. “Catra!” Catra hugged him. “Bow. Arrow Boy. Where’s Sparkles?” “Shadow Weaver has her in the Black Garnet chamber.” Catra’s pupils shrunk as she was in a state of fear and uncertainty. “Catra, what are we gonna do?” Bow asked. The alarm was the distraction Catra needed. Not for the Horde, but for her friends, since she didn’t have an answer. “Come on!”

The ragtag rebels ran away from the soldiers, eventually reaching a locked door. Entrapta confidently approached the door. “Can you open it?” Catra asked. “I just need a little more time.” Catra recognized the door. “These doors lead to the skiff bay, or whatever.” ‘Adora and I stole a skiff from it once.’ she almost said. “The doors are only open for a few seconds, then they close. Then the room is cleaned with fire, so you’ll have to get out fast.” Then Catra turned back. “Catra, what are you doing?” Bow asked. “Don’t worry about me. I’m gonna buy you some time, and find Sparkles. I’ll meet you there, okay? So don’t leave me! Unless I take more than ten minutes.” Catra, though not a willing martyr, had a plan. So she walked up to the soldiers, and surrendered. “I surrender. Take me to see Adora.”

Adora, having regained consciousness just a few minutes ago, was surprised to see Catra. “Catra! You came back!” Catra didn’t share the enthusiasm. “Yes. Now, can you let the princess go? In exchange for me?” Adora’s heart sank. ‘Catra’s still under the influence,’ she thought. “All right. Let’s get you to Shadow Weaver. That’s where the princess is.” So Adora took her to Shadow Weaver’s chamber. There, Catra saw Glimmer. “Sparkles, I’m here! Don’t worry. Everything will be okay. I’ll save you.” Shadow Weaver commanded Adora to get out, but Adora, despite her tendency to follow orders, stayed. The reason was obvious; she needed to watch, in case Shadow Weaver had more malicious intentions. But Shadow Weaver wasn’t planning on killing Catra, or turning her into her puppet; the former would be letting Catra go too easy, and the latter was impossible even with the power of the Black Garnet. She whispered to Catra about her true plans for her. “I’ll wipe every single bit of your memory, then I will re-mold you into the perfect soldier from your blank slate. It’s a pity I didn’t think of this earlier.” Of course, Adora didn’t have magicat hearing, so she couldn’t hear what Shadow Weaver was whispering. She thought it was some kind of exorcism spell, based on the way Catra trembled when Shadow Weaver told her that. 

Then Shadow Weaver begun her true spell. Doing what she did to Adora a good twenty minutes ago, she started tearing down the defense mechanisms of Catra’s mind. Glimmer, not able to stand the fact that her friend will be mind wiped, tried her best to teleport out. With her best efforts, she succeeded and Shadow Weaver was knocked unconscious by a blow to the back of her head. “Thanks, Sparkles.” Catra said. But it wasn’t Glimmer who knocked out Shadow Weaver. It was Adora.

Adora, watching the sorceress do the memory purge, realized that this had happened before. To her. Then memories, repressed and forgotten, started rushing in. Adora cried out in pain, holding her head as the past flooded her brain. Their first kiss, more like a peck on Adora’s cheek. Adora’s brief attempt at learning magic, which she failed. She pretended this never happened, but at least now Adora knew why Shadow Weaver refused to teach Adora magic. And the many times she tried to stand up for Catra after Catra got punished particularly harshly, and got magically lobotomized as a result. Adora couldn’t take it anymore. And if Shadow Weaver had been messing with her memories, it meant she could finally be sure of the truth. And the truth she knew deep down was, she was serving the bad guys. So she knocked out Shadow Weaver with a staff blow to her head, then freed Catra from her restraints. 

“Adora?” Catra asked, unsure of what was going on. “Come on, there’s no time.” Adora said, uncuffing Catra. Catra rubbed her wrists. Then realizing that Adora rescued them, she hugged Adora. "I missed you." Catra whispered. "Me too." "Uh, can we catch up  _ later _ ?" Glimmer asked. Embarrassed, Catra and Adora stopped their embrace, and the three ran to the vehicle bay.

Meanwhile, the other six ran for their lives, Emily hacking the doors open. "We made it. This way, to the vehicle bay." Sea Hawk said. They were very relieved to almost escape the Fright Zone. But then, at the last door, Emily's cord got caught in the socket. Emily booped in distress, which made Entrapta go back for Emily. "Wait, Emily!" Entrapta called out. "Entrapta, no!" Perfuma's words were the last Entrapta would hear for a long time, as the doors closed and the flames purged the room. 

When the three caught up with the four, Catra was initially ecstatic that Glimmer and Bow had escaped. “Adora, you’re gonna love it in the Rebellion! They have real food, not crummy ration bars, and Queen Angella is really great, she’s nothing like Shadow Weaver! And the people aren’t out to kill you, and the bed’s real soft…” But then, she noticed someone was missing. "Wait. Where's Twintails?" Catra asked. Bow paused for a moment. "Entrapta didn't make it." "What do you mean?" Mermista had the courage to answer. "She's gone." Then she wiped her tears away, in a rare display of her true emotions. "Why did you leave her behind? We… we have to go back for her!" Catra was desperate. Adora was just watching from the sidelines, her eyes filled with guilt. "No, she's, she's really gone." 

Catra turned back, not knowing how to cope. What was she going to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and how Adora decided to join them. Will have Adora interacting with the BFS briefly in next chapter, also Episode 11 will probably take a while since finals are coming up.  
> If I somehow post again that means I have lost all semblance of self control


	10. Episode 10. The Beacon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra runs away.
> 
> Adora makes some new friends.
> 
> Shadow Weaver lies to save her skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! Finals were over a few days ago, but I've been having issues with family over my slowly declining grades and issues internally bout how most of my family won't even love me if they knew I'm bi. Honestly I think writing this is the only thing keeping me sane at this point. Anyways, I hope you like it.

In the whispering woods, a skiff halted. Catra was sitting, with her knees to her chest. Bow reached out to Catra. "Catra, it’s not your fault." But Catra felt like it was her fault, so she denied it fervently. Reverted to the never-my-fault blamer that she was. "No. It’s  _ yours _ ." She said, pointing at Bow and Glimmer. "If you haven’t gotten caught, Entrapta would still be here!" Bow and Glimmer was taken aback. "It’s not their fault, it’s mine!" Adora came to their defense. "You got that right.", Mermista muttered. Adora's defense turned the direction of Catra’s wrath at Adora. "Yes, it is." Catra said this with so much rage that Adora flinched, "If you didn’t come up with that clever plan of yours, they would never have gotten caught!" Perfuma tried to calm Catra down. "Catra, we know you’re upset, but this is not the way to-" "Shut up. If you kept Entrapta in line, she wouldn’t have died. They might be responsible," Catra said pointing at the three, "but it's your mistake, too." Then Catra leapt from the skiff, running away. 

Some time passed before they started speaking again. "This only happened because we were all together." Mermista said after much consideration. "Mermista’s right. Being together makes us vulnerable." Perfuma added, wiping tears. "Maybe there’s a reason the Princess Alliance fell apart before. Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea." Mermista said, mostly out of guilt. "Mermista, no, you can’t say that." Glimmer said. She was met with a "Whatever," from the princess of Salineas. "I don’t want to be a part of it anymore. Sea Hawk, take me home." Glimmer looked around to see that everyone was in despair, especially Adora. 

The princesses went into their isolation once again. Mermista bolstered the Sea Gate. Perfuma made a statue of Entrapta, consisting of plants. Frosta erected a giant wall of ice to protect her realm.

At Bright Moon, Adora, Bow, and Glimmer was greeted by a frantic Angella, who didn’t even notice Adora was there as she rushed to Glimmer’s side. "Oh, Glimmer!" She examined her state, asking "Are you hurt?". Then, she hugged Glimmer so tight she felt uncomfortable. "Mom, you’re crushing me." Bow reached out to join the hug. Meanwhile, Adora just stood there, guilty.

The hug went on even inside the castle, which irritated Glimmer. "Mom! I’m fine, cut it out!" "I will not ‘cut it out’. I’ve been beside myself with worry." Then she noticed something off. "You usually teleport out of my embraces. What’s going on?" "Nothing! I just... need to recharge. That’s all." Fortunately, Angella bought it. "Of course. Guards, carry my daughter to the moonstone chamber at once." The guards advanced, but Glimmer didn’t need more eyes. "I don’t need to be carried, I can walk. You’re embarrassing me." "Fine. Then you have time to tell me what happened." Then her expression turned more solemn. "I received word of Entrapta’s loss." Adora was most affected, choosing to back away. That act, however, only drew attention to her. "Who is that girl? And where’s Catra?" Angella finally noticed. "Mom, don’t be so mad, but this is Adora." Angella’s face hardened, and Adora was sure that she would have been struck down on the spot if it wasn’t for Glimmer’s presence. "Mom, I know she did a lot of things, and I don’t like her either, but remember the deal." "Besides, your majesty, she was raised, and lied to all her life by Shadow Weaver." Bow added. The mention of Shadow Weaver seemed to gather a lot of sympathy for Adora. But not enough. "Well, then. Where’s Catra?" This was going to be harder to answer. "She… ran off. She got mad when she found out Entrapta didn’t make it. She started blaming almost everyone, then ran off." "She’s blaming herself." Adora chimed in, earning glares from the royal mother and daughter. "She does that when she gets upset. She’ll come back eventually." "Of course. Glimmer, show Adora the spare room." Glimmer knew what she meant by ‘spare room’, and Glimmer didn’t have a problem with it. Bow, however, did. "Uh, isn’t the spare room-" "Mom knows what she’s doing, Bow." Adora, reading the atmosphere, correctly assumed that the ‘spare room’ was some kind of prison. But she was okay. She deserved it.

Turning around the corner, Glimmer was assaulted by a wave of the energy Shadow Weaver bound her with. "It’s happening more often." Adora remarked. "Interesting observation, Horde scum." "Glimmer! Does it hurt?" Bow scolded, then asked. "No, not much." "We need to tell your mom. She’ll know what to do." Bow, always the rational adult, insisted. "Princess, Shadow Weaver did something to your powers. You can’t teleport and, whatever this is, keeps happening." "I don’t want my mom freaking out any more than she already is. Okay? Not that you’d understand the concept of mothers." "Glimmer!" Bow scolded Glimmer again. "It’s all right." Adora said, sheepishly. She had no rights in this situation. She was what got everyone in this situation, after all. "Besides, I always feel better after I recharge, so..." Adora and Bow exchanged a look. Glimmer took that as an agreement. "Then it’s agreed. I’ll recharge, stop glitching. Then my mom never has to know. Then to the spare room she goes."

In the Fright Zone, Shadow Weaver was getting reprimanded, in front of the Force Captains. "Not only did you lose the princess known as Glimmer, you have lost the Sword of Protection and been betrayed by your beloved Force Captain." Shadow Weaver, however, had an advantage over Hordak. He only knew the results of the jailbreak, not the specifics. "But Adora didn’t betray the Horde. She has gone as a spy." Hordak didn’t buy it, yet. "Elaborate." "It was inevitable that the Princess was going to be freed. My mask was damaged, I was surrounded by the Princesses, and worst of all, the Sword of Protection was already lost to them. So, to make the best of the situation, I sent Adora to act as a spy. Her act of ‘betrayal’ is only to gain their trust. In time, she will return with their strategic assets." Shadow Weaver lied the best she could. She even tampered with the evidence to make sure no one would rat Shadow Weaver out to Hordak. 

But out of touch as he was, he was still a cunning leader who built an empire out of nothing but a crashed ship. "Fine. If I do not directly get reports from your Adora every three days, you will be disposed of. Understand?" "Yes, of course, my lord." This was going to be difficult, but manageable. As long as she had information about the Rebellion, she could project an image of Adora with her magic and have ‘Adora’ talk. 

But what no one noticed was, the Force Captains and Shadow Weaver weren’t the only ones listening to Hordak. Behind the vent, a certain princess also listened…

Glimmer, lying down on the recharging station, felt a pair of eyes. "I can feel you watching me." "I am not." Bow replied, teary eyed with worry. Adora just sat down, hoping that the princess would get better. "See, I told you. Just needed to re-argh!" The glitches began again, much to Bow and Adora’s despair. "It didn’t work!" "Work? It made it worse!" Glimmer’s screams alerted Angella of her location. "Glimmer? Are you up there?" Adora hid behind the wall. "Uh, guys? We have a problem." "We cannot see my mom see me like this!" When Angella flew up, she only saw two; Glimmer and Bow. "There you are, Glimmer. Are you feeling better?" Glimmer chuckled awkwardly, next to Bow who was posing even more awkwardly. "Whoa, Mom, can’t a girl recharge in private? Anyway, we were just leaving. Bye!" Angella was rightfully suspicious. "Is everything all right? Glimmer? Glimmer, do not walk away from me!" Then, in a softer voice, "I just wanted to talk."

Scorpia was walking down the hall when she saw a bot strutting in her direction. Scorpia found it cute. "Oh, what are you?" The bot continued its awkward advance, heading towards a certain vent. "Aww, you want to go in there? Come on in!" She abruptly opened the vent. To her surprise, a princess fell out. "Whoa! Uhh… hi." 

Back in Bright Moon, the Rebels and Adora were looking for solutions. "Maybe it’s like a cold. I’ve never been sick before. Having an immortal mother has some advantages." "What do you do when you have a cold?" Glimmer asked Bow. "Remain out of sight." Adora answered. "What?" Glimmer asked. "Displays of physical weakness are strongly discouraged in the Horde." Was this why Catra was so defensive about everything? To hide ‘displays of weakness’? "Well, you’re in the Rebellion now!" Bow grinned, then stopped when he noticed Glimmer’s fiery glare. "Okay, cold. Um, lots of liquids and, uh, rest." Then he gasped. "I’ll make soup!" "Great! And I’ll nap! I bet when I wake up, I’ll be good as new. Yeah! Just gotta let it run its course." Then she noticed the height of her bed, and realized just how she took teleportation for granted. "Why did I make my bed so high?" She turned to the other two. "Give me a boost?" Even with Adora and Bow’s support, getting up to the bed turned out to be a fruitless endeavor. "Look, whatever’s happened to you, it’s because of whatever dark magic Shadow Weaver made with the Black Garnet." Adora said. "I think we should wait for Catra to get back. She-Ra healed the trees in Plumeria, right? I heard that in Force Captain Orientation." "Uh… Sort of, not really." "Well, She-Ra definitely fixed the Sea Gate." "Glimmer’s not a piece of machinery. Catra doesn’t know how to fully control She-Ra’s powers yet." But Glimmer didn’t listen to Bow. "This is a great idea, Horde scum. She-Ra will fix me, and then everything will be back to normal." Adora noticed the ‘Horde Scum’ was a little friendlier than before, much to her surprise.

Lonnie was abruptly woken up from her well-deserved nap by a pair of pincers. "Ugh, Scorpia, I thought I told you to- is that a  _ princess _ ?!" The mention of a princess woke Kyle and Rogelio up, too. "Shh! I found her in the vents and I don’t know what to do!" Lonnie sighed. "Just hand her over to Shadow Weaver. It’s not like Adora’s here to say anything. First Catra, now her." Then she scoffed. "Maybe you’ll be next." "Lonnie, Shadow Weaver said that Adora left as a spy! She’ll come back when the time is right. I promise." " _ Sure _ . If you say so." Lonnie said in the most sarcastic way possible. Entrapta, meanwhile, was checking out Rogelio’s interesting reptilian physique, earning a glare from Kyle. Lonnie quickly scanned over the situation, and then sighed again. "Fine. But you owe us some ration bars, Scorpia. And if anyone finds out before we figure out what to do with her…" "We’re dead. Got it. Thanks, Lonnie! Gosh, you’re really just-" "Wait, what’s that?" Lonnie said, pointing at a tablet Entrapta dropped while wrestling with a jealous Kyle, the blond losing by a big margin. Lonnie quickly grabbed and activated the tablet. Then, she saw something big. "Scorpia, this is huge. If that princess is right… then this could be a game changer!"

Adora was waiting in her spare room, which to her surprise, was surprisingly big and cozy. She wondered if this was actually a prison, or if it was actually a spare room that was currently being used as a jail. Either way, she felt uncomfortable. Surely she deserved worse than the comfort of this room. Then, the doors creaked open and Glimmer and Bow walked in. 

"If you’re here to interrogate me, you don’t have to walk in like that. I’ll tell you everything." Adora said. But they weren’t there to talk. Glimmer walked in with big, confident strides, and handed her a pillow. Before Adora could figure out what was going on, she smacked her across the face with a pillow of her own. Dazed, Adora soon realized this was a pillow fight. So this was a constant of every child, she thought. Since pillows were as hard as bricks, pillow fights were much more deadly in the Horde and was frowned upon because of it. Pillows here, however, seemed much more  _ benign _ . It meant Adora could unleash her full force. she quickly double-wielded a pair of medium sized pillows, and started swinging it at Glimmer and Bow. Bow was quite adept at pillow fighting, presumably from experience, but Glimmer's prowess surprised her. During her encounters of her, Adora figured out that Glimmer wasn't really the martial warrior type, but in pillow fights, she was different. Teleporting around, striking her in every possible angle… Adora barely managed to land a hit on her, and it was then when she realized that the Princesses were each a powerhouse, even the 'weak' ones, like Glimmer. After her utter and humiliating defeat at the hands of Glimmer- even though Bow chose not to intervene- she lay down exhausted. 

"Catra wasn't this easy," Glimmer said, smirking. Adora expected it, honestly. Catra always was the faster one, whether it be actual speed or reflexes. "She can hit me even if I teleport these days." "Oh yeah, Catra's like really good at this stuff." Bow added. "I mean, she pretends not to like it, but she is so  _ passionate _ !" Adora chuckled. Catra never liked pillow fights, or any activity involving more people than just the two of them. But apparently the two were different. Apparently she could find happiness here. It made Adora's heart swell with joy, too.

Once the rebels were too tired for any physical activities, they exchanged conversation. Especially about Catra. As it turned out, Catra’s knack for messing with people didn’t go away when she defected to the Rebellion. 

“So she likes to prank everyone, except the queen.” Adora could see why Catra wouldn’t mess with the queen. But she got the reason wrong; Adora, having only seen authority figures that seeked to instill fear, didn’t get that Catra respected her. “I can get why.” “So, Catra regularly messes with everyone, like once she switched a salt container with sugar, and everything ended up tasting sweet!” “Wait, what’s sugar?”. Then Glimmer and Bow had to explain to Adora what sugar or salt was. “So, did she get… punished?” Adora asked, hesitant. “Yeah, she got grounded.” “She got grounded?!... What’s that mean?” Was she strapped down to the ground? Was she dropped off the roof? She didn’t think the princesses were possible of such cruelty, so she was confounded. “It means she was forced to stay in her room.” Bow said, casually. This worried Adora. “Oh no. She hates solitary confinement.” Glimmer and Bow stared at each other, then laughed. “No, this is nothing like solitary confinement! She stays in her room, and we visit her!” Then their smiles dropped from their faces. “She was subject to solitary confinement?” Adora hesitated, drooped her head, and replied “Yes. I should have stopped Shadow Weaver, I should have-” “Stop.” Bow said firmly. “You were a kid, and none of you should have gone through what you have gone through.” Adora meekly smiled. 

Kyle was the first one to talk to Entrapta. "So, what are you doing here? The princesses already left, with Adora." Kyle didn’t say that Adora went as a spy, partly because he didn’t fully buy it, and partly because he wasn’t sure if Entrapta was going to stay. "I was just waiting for my friends to get back. They had trouble finding me before. So I figured I’d make it easier for them and just stay put right here." "Um… I- I think they left you." Kyle replied, in his signature meek and timid way. "No, no. They’re my friends, they’ll be back." Entrapta said, anxious. Then she suddenly tried to talk about something else. "Say, your big friend’s tail secretes some kind of paralyzing agent, right? Do you think you can get me a sample, to study?" "I dunno, Scorpia’s kinda touchy about- that’s not the point!" Kyle replied. "I think they left you, princess. They just came here to get what they wanted, so- so why wouldn’t they?" Kyle cried out. The truth was, he would have wanted to join the Rebellion, too. Maybe get a sword like Catra, transform into He-Ra or something like that. But Bow had betrayed him. That was it for Entrapta. She turned on the recorder to remark on how rude they had been treating her. "Fright Zone log, hour 45… Is that right? I don’t know if that’s right, it was hard to tell in the walls." Then, the realization. "Hour 45, that’s- that’s too many hours. This feeble boy seems to be correct." Then she pulled back her mask as she uttered a sentence. "They’re not coming back for me."

Scorpia, after much consideration, decided to report to Shadow Weaver about Entrapta, and the tablet’s contents. It was something about ‘First Ones’ tech that held the secrets about the planet. Shadow Weaver allowed Scorpia to keep Entrapta in their quarters, as long as she never got out. Shadow Weaver saw an opportunity arising. If she played her cards correctly, she could get Adora  _ and _ the First Ones tech. But first, she would have to find Adora…

Catra was running, and running, and running. She ran until the mighty She-Ra’s stamina finally gave out. Then she cried, releasing sobs that had been accumulating for the past hours. Why was she such a screw up? Why couldn’t she be perfect like Adora? And now that Adora’s joined the Rebellion, would the Sword even work for her and not her rightful owner? And if Adora became She-Ra, would the Rebellion even care for her? When her one major plan led to Entrapta’s death, and the dissolution of the Princess Alliance? Catra knew the answer. She would be discarded again, cast aside for Adora, like she always was. But she had to know why. Why the Sword let her be She-Ra in the first place. And she knew where to go. The ruins she went to with Razz. She would find answers there.

Adora was still plagued by guilt. She knew that she had been mostly forgiven by Glimmer and Bow, and befriended them, too, but she would always bear the blood of Entrapta on her hands. And Glimmer, too. Glimmer might never be able to use her powers again and it was her fault. That was when Angella knocked. "Bow, just act normal. Adora, hide somewhere." Then she opened the door to face Angella. "Mom, we’re busy." "I won’t be long. You are requested for dinner with me tonight. Alone." "Bu-but, Mom! I’m really tired. Can’t I just stay in my room and rest?" Angella’s grin didn’t change as she said ruthless words. "I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said request. It’s not a request. You are required to have dinner with me because I’m your mother and… I’m also the queen, so I can make you." "Yikes, she’s playing the queen card." Bow whispered to Adora. "No need to answer. I’ll see you in an hour." The moment she closed the door, Glimmer glitched again. That was the last straw for Adora. She couldn’t stand there and watch as her new friend suffered. "That’s it. I can’t stay here and be useless. I’m going to find Catra and bring her back." "But Catra’s going to come back, you said it yourself!" Bow said. "She usually returned before it got dark, but the sun’s set already and she still hasn’t come back! I’m going to get her back, and she’s gonna fix you!" "How? Can you find her in an hour?" Glimmer asked, hopeful. "Probably not, since I’m not totally sure where I’m going. I think I’ll find her somewhere in the Whispering Woods." "Running away. Great idea. I won’t have to go to dinner with my mom. Ooh. I’ll get my things." "No, I have to do this on my own." Because it’s all my fault, she wanted to say. She ran for the door, exiting the room in a hurry. "She’ll be okay. And so will Catra." Bow said. "I hope so."

Adora, while wandering around the Whispering Woods in search of her friend, ran into a shape she was too familiar with. Shadow Weaver. "Adora, hasn’t this gone on for long enough? End this folly now. Return to my side." "I deserted. There’s no way I’m coming back. Not that the Horde would actually accept it." "Oh, Adora, but you can." Slithering to Adora’s back, she gently caressed her cheek. "I  _ ‘explained’ _ to Hordak that you left as a spy. There is still a chance for you." Adora turned to face her former superior, her worst nightmare… her caregiver. "And… and why would I go back? The Horde is evil, Catra is finally happy here, and I am too. Face it, Shadow Weaver. There’s no reason to go back." Adora’s voice betrayed her in showing a confident attitude. "But what about your other friends? Not your  _ ‘friends’  _ that only seek to use you? They will be punished if the Horde finds out you’ve deserted for real." The color drained from Adora’s face. How could she have forgotten about them? They've been with her through Thaymor twice, Salineas, and Princess Prom. She couldn't leave them behind, though Catra would always be her first priority. "Fine. What do I have to earn my trust back?" "A First Ones tech, somewhere in the Whispering Woods. Bring it to me, and you may even leave with your friends. Though I suggest you stay. Live up to your potential." Shadow Weaver promised, knowing that if the abandoned princess was correct, she wouldn’t need Adora anymore. Adora thought about it. The Horde was where she grew up. Where she could climb up the ranks, to live up to her expectations. But Adora didn’t need living up to her potential, to be the best. She just needed her friends.

Some moments passed, and it was finally time for the dreaded dinner. "Listen, Glimmer. I appreciate you trying, but you can’t protect me anymore. We have to tell your mom." "We’re not telling anybody’s mom! And what do you mean, protect you?" "Isn’t it obvious? This is all my fault!" Bow blurted. "If I hadn’t gone to prom with Perfuma, then we wouldn’t have been separated. And then I wouldn’t have gotten kidnapped, and you wouldn’t be sick! See? All my fault!" Bow sniffled back a sob. "That’s crazy! It’s obviously my fault! I let myself get distracted. I shouldn’t have been so weird about you hanging out with someone else. I’m sorry, Bow." "You can’t be sorry when I’m trying to be sorry." "Yeah, but your sorry is wrong and mine is right. You know what? Let’s just hug." Then they reconciled with a hug. A hug in which Glimmer glitched out again. "I’m glitching, aren’t I?" "It hurts so much." "How am I gonna get through dinner without my mom noticing? Ah. Ooh. We start a fire in the castle, then she’ll have to cancel." Bow gave her a grin. "Just a small one?" 

But the fire was never lit, and the dinner was never cancelled. "I gave the staff the night off so it could be just us. And I made your favorite." But that wasn’t quite true. Angella corrected it. "Well, I didn’t make it, but I had the kitchen make it before I gave them the night off." "Thanks." Glimmer coldly replied. "We’ve hardly had a chance to talk since you returned." Glimmer was busy picking leaves in the castle plants. "Well, you know, not much to talk about." Glimmer’s distant attitude frustrated Angella. "Not much to talk about? You were kidnapped! And you lost a friend during the escape and-" Glimmer felt the glitch come on again. "I get it, mom. I failed!" "That’s not what I-" she was interrupted by Glimmer’s pained scream, her whole body glitching. Angella panicked. "Stop! Make it stop! Glimmer, what’s happening to you? What aren’t you telling me?" 

"Don’t yell at me! I know I messed everything up, okay?" Glimmer shoved Angella away. "I  _ know  _ I’m a big disappointment!" "What are you talking about?" "Entrapta died trying to rescue me, and the Princess Alliance is over, and Shadow Weaver did something to my powers! I’m sorry I couldn’t be  _ perfect _ like you, you have no idea what it feels like to be such a  _ screw up _ !" But Angella knew how it felt, painfully so. "I don’t know how you feel? I got your father killed!" Silence flooded the room. "I ordered the battle your father perished in. I’ve never forgiven myself." Angella continued, her voice more calm. "I-I didn’t know that." "Yes, well, you never talk to me. Why didn’t tell me you were sick?" "Because I was ashamed. I acted without thinking, the exact thing you’re always telling me not to do. I teleported, right into their trap." Angella didn’t say a word as she compassionately watched Glimmer. "The Alliance is over, and I’m to blame." Glimmer said, not able to face Angella. "Oh, Glimmer, I’m the one who failed. If I hadn’t let the first Alliance fall apart after your father’s death, none of this would be happening." " _ You,  _ feel like a failure?" "Don’t make the same mistake I did. I should have kept fighting, and you should, too." "But the other princesses, they all quit. You don’t think the Rebellion is done?" "With my daughter leading it? Not a chance." Angella answered reassuringly. "Even if my powers are gone?" Angella believed that the formidable thing about Glimmer wasn’t her powers, but her fighting spirit. So there was only one way she could answer. "We’ll figure it out, together."

Adora was constantly plagued by Shadow Weaver on her quest for Catra, telling her that Catra's only been using her from the start. That the princesses are indeed insidious, just not as explicitly evil as Horde propaganda. That she'll be discarded like the nobody she was before Shadow Weaver took her in. Adora didn't believe in any of them. She trusted Catra, and her new friends. And yet. Her deepest parts screamed to get back to the Horde. To home. Screamed that she was being used by the Rebellion, too. Adora ignored this and carried on. She had to find Catra, so Catra could cast out the shadows like she did in Mystacor and heal Glimmer.

Catra was stumped. It seemed like it’s been hours, and yet no progress had been made. The rock with the scratch marks, she passed over three times. "Please, I just want to know answers!" Catra yelled into the woods. The woods stood menacingly, as ever. "You know what? Fine." She turned back to Catra. "I’m weak, and scared. Because I wasn’t even supposed to be She-Ra, and I’ll be useless again and no one will want me when Adora joins the Rebellion." Then, the beacon shone bright. Catra saw the light and the beacon, and walked into it. Finally, she’d find some answers.

Adora, frustrated, wasn’t even sure if Catra was still in the Whispering Woods, or if she had returned. Just when she was about to set up camp and call it a day, she found Catra. "Catra!" She yelled. But Catra didn’t hear her. It looked like she had to follow her in...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus Episode coming up before Ep11. Promise. I honestly don't know how to cover that and the bonus episode will cover well as a filler. Might change to uploading once weekly, for reasons like; Korean SAT is coming up and I have to get ready for that too. Might upload other projects I'm working on. I also want to improve the quality of the chapters. I feel like this chapter especially is a bit rushed.   
> Also, anyone want a story about Catra heading to Salineas to help rebuild and make up for the things she had done?


	11. Bonus Episode 1.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and her new friends exchange tales of Catra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a hastily made, filler, low effort, episode to buy time while I write Ep11. Promise. Please go easy on me on this one.

“So, that’s all what Catra did? Cuz that seems too tame for Catra.” Adora said, snorting from the last story Glimmer told her. “Oh, you can’t even imagine half the stuff she’s done.” Bow said. And so began the exchange of tales, the tales of misdeeds done by Catra…

“Oh! What about that time she got caught by Juliet?” Glimmer clapped her hands, then pointed at Bow. Bow finger gunned in agreement. “So, okay. I’m technically a commander, but there’s a general who does the hard work. She’s called Juliet.” Adora didn’t have a clue. “The lean woman with a scar on her nose.” Now Adora knew. “She glared at me so hard I thought I could melt.” “Well, she’s a veteran. So she  _ might _ be more distrusting than us. But anyways, believe me or not, Juliet really enjoys collecting stuffed animals. And various weapons, but that doesn’t really matter right now.” Adora nodded, getting a grasp on where this story was leading. “So one day, Catra had a genius idea. ‘What if we hid her dolls day by day, until nothing was left?’ and she got to work.” Bow couldn’t contain the chuckles at this point. “So she stole every single one of her dolls, with a different method every time. She flat out stole one of it when Juliet was sleeping, she used a fishing rod, she used a retrofitted Horde spy bot...” “Oh! And don’t forget that one where she replaced the stuffed rabbit with the real one!” Bow chimed in. “I was getting to that! But anyways, the last night, she had the genius idea to hide under Juliet’s bed and wait until she went to sleep. But what happened was, she didn’t go to sleep. Like at all.”

“So what happened?” Adora asked, intrigued. “Juliet stood vigil, protecting her favorite and last toy, a puppy doll called Fluffkins.” Bow let out a laughter at the mention of Fluffkins. “So Catra was forced to wait for 16 hours straight under the bed.” Adora winced. Catra didn’t like being trapped in dark spaces, due to it being Shadow Weaver’s favorite punishment. “But when Juliet finally faltered, closed her eyes for just a minute, she took the chance!” Bow took over. “Or so she thought. Turns out Juliet was awake, and she grabbed Catra by the tail! And...” Adora winced, visibly this time. Bow’s smile faded as she noticed her expression. “What’s wrong, Adora?” “It’s just that… back in the Horde, Catra didn’t like being touched, especially her tail.” Bow’s expression darkened even more. “Oh. We didn’t know that. But Catra didn’t seem that averse to it.” And Bow was right. As it turned out, Catra didn’t dislike touch as a whole, but she didn’t like it as a result of Shadow Weaver’s belittling physical contact. The Rebels were different. 

  
  


Glimmer, meanwhile, had an even better story. “Did I tell you about that time Perfuma accidentally made Catra weird?” “Oh, is that that time with the catnip and-” “Bow, quiet! Adora doesn’t know this one! Okay, so, there’s weekly meetings where we discuss our plans, and one day Perfuma brought some kind of plant with her.” Adora nodded. “And usually Catra doesn’t like plants because flowers make her allergic, but this was different.” Adora cocked her eyebrows, urging Glimmer to continue on. “So her eyes suddenly go wide the moment Perfuma walks in, and she starts sniffing. Like a lot.” Bow was snickering already. “And when she figured out where the smell was coming from, she literally burst out of her chair, leapt using  _ my mom  _ as a stepping stool, and tried to jump Perfuma!” Adora was confounded. The Queen? How could Catra do that? Adora guessed that Catra was in such a position that even the Queen had to walk around her. “So what happened?” “Oh, you wouldn’t believe it. She-” “Quiet, Bow. It’s my story.” “Sorry.” Adora chuckled at this little exchange. “She jumped too far, and by a  _ big  _ margin. She went over Perfuma, who was like ‘what is going on?’ and crashed on, you wouldn’t believe it, Juliet.” Then Bow and Glimmer burst out into laughter. Adora assumed that this was a sort of a running joke- that Catra gets into trouble with general Juliet a lot. Adora chuckled awkwardly. “No, wait. It gets better. So after jumping on Juliet, she leapt for Perfuma again. You know what she said?” Adora shook her head. “No! Bad Catra! Do  _ not  _ attack the plant!” Glimmer yelled, imitating Perfuma. “No! No!  _ Noo! _ ” She yelled, flailing around. “Then she used her magic to grow the plant, letting it bind Catra. Which was a bad idea as she took a bite out of it.” “What happened then?” “Hoo boy. She was… weird for 2 minutes, before being knocked out cold. She was hugging everyone, talking about how she loved the new life here before… you know.” Glimmer smirked. 

Then, after some thinking, she said “You know, that kinda thing happened before, too! In...” Then Glimmer’s face darkened. “Where?” Adora asked, excited and painfully oblivious to the fact that it happened in Dryl. “Maybe you don’t need to know.” Bow said gently. “It was Dryl, wasn’t it?” Adora asked solemnly.

The silence was enough for Adora to figure it out.

After some painful silence filled the room, Bow decided to break it by asking Adora about experiences of her own. “So, what did you and Catra do back in the Horde?” Adora paused. “You mean, like generally? Or like, the funny stuff?” “The funny stuff, of course.” Adora rubbed her chin. “Huh, let me think...”

“Okay, I think this one’s gonna make you laugh. But don’t mention it in front of Catra, okay? Kyle mentioned this once and Catra nearly scratched his face off.” Bow nodded in anticipation. Glimmer wasn’t as enthusiastic. “So, I failed a class for the first time. Shadow Weaver was mad, like real mad. She was like ‘Adora, I prepared you for greatness, will you rescind into mediocrity? Like Catra?’ and I was mad that she thought Catra was mediocre, but anyways.” Then Adora noticed no one else was smiling. “Was my Shadow Weaver impression off?”

“Adora, I’m sorry what you and Catra suffered through. I promise it won’t happen here.” Bow said. “Oh, I’m- I’m okay. Catra had it worst. I’ve never even gotten zapped, as far as I remember.” Adora said, knowing fully that the worst memories had probably been locked away by Shadow Weaver. But they didn’t need to know that. “So anyways, I was down, and the next day, when I woke up and put my shoes on, I felt a  _ squelch. _ ” Bow tilted his head in curiosity. "As it turned out, she literally  _ caught a mouse for me. _ It was a nice gesture, but what am I supposed to do with a dead mouse? Amirite?" Then she giggle-snorted, among with Bow, who let out a snicker, and Glimmer, who smiled so slightly. "Anyways, I've never let it go since." Adora checked the crowd, which seemed to be not amused enough. "Is this about Shadow Weaver? I'm fine, guys! Catra was the one who suffered." 

But there was only an awkward silence. Looks like the wait was going to be uncomfortable after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I'm doing my best on Ep11. Promise I promise.


	12. Episode 11. Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra lets go.
> 
> Adora identifies manipulation.
> 
> The two manipulators get what they want.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long! Planning out this stuff took quite long, with studying and all. Also, I suck at describing stuff or acts. But I stayed up until 2am to make this, and I hope you all enjoy.

"Catra!" Adora yelled. But Catra was too fixated on the beacon to hear her, even with her magicat hearing. The gate to the Beacon opened for Catra. Adora, however, couldn't make it as the gate closed behind Catra, just before Adora could get to it. She banged at the gate, but it held steadfast. Then she noticed something. A glyph, that she could read naturally. It read, "Eternia." Her whisper was enough to open the door. Seeing that Shadow Weaver was for some reason waiting in the forest, unwilling to enter, she went in before she changed her mind. 

When Adora went in, Catra was dealing with some kind of image, like Shadow Weaver at Mystacor. "How do I heal, you stupid little… arrgh! Not this again." Adora decided not to announce to Catra her arrival until she felt a little better. Meanwhile, she would look for any First Ones technology. Catra, meanwhile, decided that if she were to make the hologram talk, she would need to be someone the beacon recognised; She-Ra. "For the honor of Grayskull!" 

"Administrator detected. Welcome, She-Ra." 

Unfortunately, her being the 'administrator' didn't help much. 

"What is the Sword for? How did I get to use it?" 

"Subject: The Sword of Protection. Classification: portable runestone, keyed exclusively to administrator She-Ra, Princess of Power." 

"How can I use this thing to heal Sparkles?" 

"Query not recognized." 

Catra thought the hologram did not recognize her question because she referred to Glimmer as 'Sparkles'. "How do I use this thing to heal… my friend?" 

"Query not recognized." Catra facepalmed. Apparently, she was wrong. 

"The stories say that the Sword has healing powers. Is, that, true?" 

"One of the Sword of Protection's many intended functions is to heal and restore balance." This was getting nowhere. Catra facepalmed again. "How do I do that?" 

"Query not recognized." 

"How can I use the Sword to… forget it."

'There must be someone smarter that I can talk to,' Catra thought. She racked her head for ideas when- the visions that came to her when she picked up the Sword came rushing in again. The Purple Lady one of them- Light Hope. She would talk to Light Hope. "I wanna talk to Light Hope. She is Light Hope, right?" 

The hologram flickered. "Yes. Light Hope is here. She has been waiting for you." 

"I wanna talk to her." Catra said, relieved that someone other than the wretched hologram was here. "You will meet her soon enough. First, you must  _ let go. _ " "What?" 

Catra asked, frustrated again. 

"You are not ready yet. You must let go." "Let go of what?"

Adora, after some searching, finally found a pedestal where a First Ones crystal was placed in. She quickly took it. Unfortunately, it caused the alarm system to fire, which in turn caused Catra to yelp in surprise, then shoot a bolt of energy towards the sound. Adora barely ducked in time. "Hey! You almost killed me!" Adora yelled. 

"Adora? What are you doing here?" 

Apparently, the hologram had the same question. 

"Unauthorized presence detected. Security protocol activated."

"Nonononono, not again!" Catra yelled as Adora asked "Did I do that?"

"Of course it was you, you dummy! You're not even supposed to be in here!" Catra snapped. The doors started closing one by one, and Catra quickly took Adora's hand and ran towards the not-as-yet closed doors. Unfortunately, the door they were initially headed towards turned out to be full of giant robotic spiders. "What are  _ those? _ " Adora asked. Catra, while also mostly oblivious herself, could answer "Bad."

Since the doors were closed by the time they gained a safe distance from the spiders, She-Ra had to use her incredible strength to lift the door. "Come on! We need to run." CAtra said, strained. Adora quickly entered the hallway, just before Catra let it go. 

The hallway they entered weren't free from the spider problems, either. Running away once again, Adora asked Catra "What's going on? What are those things? Why are they trying to-" "They're trying to kill you. They see you as a invader." 

"I thought you're the administrator or something. Can you get them to stop?" "No, because clearly, nothing or no one is listening to me!" 

They reached a dead end, nowhere to run from the spiders. "Catra?" Adora asked, afraid. "Stand back!" Catra said. Then she destabilized the structure, bringing the ceiling down on the spiders. 

Though most of the rubble was deflected by Catra's shield, the impact still did a number on her as she transformed back to her magicat self. "You shouldn't be here, Adora." "Glimmer needs to heal, and we thought-" 

"So you guys are friends now, huh." Adora knew when Catra was being possessive, and this was one of them. "It's not-" "No, while you're at it, you can be She-Ra, too!" Catra said faux enthusiastically. 

"Catra, you know I'll never try to replace you!" "Hmph." 

An awkward silence passed. 

"How did you find this place, anyways?" Catra asked. "Well, I was wandering around looking for you, when there was this beam of light. I followed it here." Adora answered honestly. "You… joined us for real, right?" Adora couldn't explain to Catra now that she had to temporarily go back to the Horde. "Yeah." She answered, uneasy. 

"Come on, Glimmer and Bow are waiting for you." Adora said cheerily, as if she was the one who initially joined the Rebellion and not Catra. 

"Stop that." "Stop what?" Adora was oblivious. "Stop pretending like… like they're  _ your  _ friends _ ,  _ not  _ mine. _ " 

"But they're our friends." Catra just groaned. "Let's just go back to Bright Moon."

After some walking, they reached what seemed like another dead end. Catra groaned in frustration, until she noticed the First Ones writings on the wall. It read- "Eternia." Adora said, opening the door. Catra was fazed. Since when could Adora read First Ones writing? Wasn't it unique to her? But then, maybe it was Adora's ability. Maybe Catra's been borrowing everything from her, like she took the Sword. Catra was feeling all the more dejected with her thoughts, so she discreetly liked it when the door Adora opened only led to a dark space. 

"Cool, you found the Infinite Darkness room." Catra snarked as she held the Sword. "Apparently you can make mistakes too, cool. Now let's find another way." Catra said, then turned around to find nothing. 

"Wait, where did the door go?" While Catra was fruitlessly searching for the door, Adora found a glimpse. A glimpse of what, she wasn't sure about, but it was better than nothing. "I think I see something. Hello?" The glimpse of something turned out to be a ball of light. Adora and Catra made their way to the enigmatic light source. "What's-" Catra's question was cut short when the ball of light flashed, scanning Catra and Adora. 

When the two opened their eyes, the two were back in the Fright Zone. "What's going on?" Adora asked Catra. Catra was much more paranoid, however. She pinned Adora to the nearest wall. "Whatever it is you're doing, it won't work." "I don't know! I didn't do anything!" Catra read Adora, and it seemed apparent that she wasn't lying. She seemed genuinely confused. 

Though remembering Princess Prom, she might not be as confused as she seemed. 

Still pinning Adora to the wall, she pondered about the various possibilities. Perhaps Shadow Weaver was behind this, too. She did a similar thing in Mystacor, maybe this time wouldn't be different. "Is this another Shadow Weaver mind trick?" Catra interrogated. Adora thought that was very plausible. That could be the reason Shadow Weaver didn't enter the beacon. But she couldn't say it. If she said she went with Shadow Weaver, no matter the reason, Catra would never trust her again. She nearly scratched out her eye when she mentioned Shadow Weaver in Thaymor, after all. So her answer was "I don't think so. Can you let go of me now?"

The two friends searched around the 'Fright Zone' for anything that could be clues. Adora stumbled into a Horde soldier, while Catra perceived the image glitching. "Soldier, where is this district?" Adora asked. The 'soldier' did not move, or react to Adora at all. "Hey! I may be new, but I  _ am _ a Force Captain. I can send you to latrine duty for months." When verbal threats didn't work, she poked the 'soldier'. The 'soldier' then revealed its true identity, a hologram. "Hey, Catra! This isn't real!" But Catra was nowhere to be seen. "Catra? Catra?" Catra heard her, and called out for Adora herself. Adora turned around to see a younger version of Catra. "Adora!" The young magicat called out, then rushed towards her blonde counterpart. Catra walked in to see Adora looking at the children.

_ "Does it look broken to you?" Catra asked, showing distress. "It's not broken. You're fine." Adora, gap-toothed, reassured her. Catra shrieked. "I'm bleeding!" She said, shaking her 'bleeding' hand. "You're not bleeding! Why would you try and pick a fight with Octavia anyway?" The question aggravated Catra. "I didn't  _ do _ anything. All I did was exist near her. And scratch her on the eyeball. And call her a dumb face."  _

_ "Catra-" "What? She has a dumb face." Catra was adamant on this. "Where is she?" Catra reluctantly took her to where Octavia was resting with her one good eye. "Hey Octavia, you're a dumb face!" This rudimentary insult managed to tick off Octavia. "Huh?" After realizing what the blonde had said, she quickly jumped up to where the young cadets were. "She's coming!" Catra yelled, mostly out of exhilaration. "Run!" And so the two ran away from Octavia, away from their troubles. _

The two, now out of the simulation and much more mature, were still laughing until they realized that they were no longer in the Fright Zone. Catra quickly yanked her hand away in embarrassment. "What was that?" Adora was disappointed that Catra would yank it away so quickly. "It must have been some kind of simulation. It's tapping into our memories. Why, I have no idea." Adora guessed. "Ugh. This place is so weird. How did I deal with all this magic stuff? How do you?" Said Catra, leaning on a wall, whose previous experience didn't make it more weird. "Catra, this is just as weird for me. We're only dealing with this because  _ someone _ just ran away." This wasn't the right thing to say, of course. Catra was feeling just as guilty, but she wasn't going to show it. Especially the person who was scolding her for it. "What do you want, an apology? You're not going to get one." She said, shoving Adora away.

"Can I ask you something?" Adora asked Catra as they exited the hallway into a room, its defining feature being a great hole with a pillar acting as a bridge. Catra groaned. "Can I stop you?" They paused as they noticed the big bottomless hole. 

"Why did you not let me come with you for the Sword?" Just as she finished the question, the ground that seemed firm and stable crumbled as Adora nearly fell to her doom.

Nearly. 

Catra caught her just in time, and answered her question, too. "Did you really think I'd put you at danger? And anger Shadow Weaver?" "I dunno. Probably." 

Catra pulled Adora towards safety. "Yeah, well… You never did have too much faith in me." "Can you blame me?" 

Catra chuckled. "Not really."

Now, it was Catra's turn to ask questions. "Was it bad? Without me in the Horde." Catra asked. "Bad? If it wasn't for my other friends, I wouldn't have..." Adora couldn't finish the sentence, teary eyed. "I'm just glad we're free from that pla-" Adora couldn't finish this sentence either as she fell to another simulation. 

_ Young Adora and Catra, the two not used to Shadow Weaver's tactics yet, were called to the Black Garnet chamber. The Garnet hummed with energy as Shadow Weaver recharged in front of the two cadets. Catra and Adora thought that they were called because of their high marks on agility and strength, respectively. Adora was praised. "Adora, you have shown excellence, as expected. Keep up the work, and you will be a Force Captain in no time." Then after prodding Adora to go back to her quarters, Shadow Weaver turned to face Catra.  _

_ "And you, Catra." Catra's anticipating smile soon turned to a confused frown when Shadow Weaver did not give the praise she anticipated. "You. I do not know how you managed to outperform Adora, what trick you used to hinder her, but it will no longer be tolerated." "But I…" "Silence, child. Adora has a road of greatness paved for her, and you will not steal it from her. Understand?" Initially a mix of confusion and outrage, Catra's expression soon turned into that of a resigned sadness. "Yes, Shadow Weaver." _

_ "How did it go?" Adora asked Catra, sure that her extraordinary feat of agility would earn Catra Shadow Weaver's favor, like it did Adora. But Catra didn't answer her, instead pushing her to the ground. "Shadow Weaver said not to cheat again." "But you didn't! Why didn't you tell her-"  _

_ "I did, okay? I did but she didn't listen because she only loves  _ you _ and hates  _ me _!" Catra said, stomping her foot against the floor. "Catra-" "Go play with someone who won't drag you down!" Adora, powering through Catra's half-hearted scratches and pushing, hugged Catra tight.  _

_ "I don't think you drag me down. I'll tell Shadow Weaver how good you were and how you weren't cheating at all!" Adora said, thinking that Shadow Weaver's hate from Catra stemmed from a misunderstanding. "Really?" Catra asked, hopeful. "I promise." And Adora left for the Black Garnet chamber, and Catra went to the bathroom to wipe her tears when she saw-  _ herself. The simulation was over, and Catra was back to herself.

"Unauthorized presence detected. Security protocol activated." From the mirror, Catra could see 4 pairs of eyes staring back at her, not including her own. And soon, a robotic spider squeezed out of the mirror. When Adora heard her screams and came running, she was too late. The spider's hold on her with the webbing was too strong, and Catra slipped out of her grasp.

Catra was being dragged to who-knows-where by the beacon's defense spider, and she was helpless to stop it. Or was she? As she stopped screaming for Adora, she realized that she had what she needed to escape all along. With her claws that could cut through metal, she ripped through the webbing and started her counterattack. One by one, she gouged out the 'eyes, ripping out the wiring, ready to deliver the finishing blow.

But the finishing blow came from Adora. Like the cavalry she was, she jumped down, smashing the robot's CPU in with her staff. Then she stepped down. "Are you okay?" "I had it. Besides, I can turn into She-Ra, remember?" Catra said, resenting Adora for being so patronizing. "Sure you did." This sentence angered Catra. Why was Adora treating her like a weakling? A  _ sidekick _ ? "We need to make sure we stay together from now on." Adora, oblivious to Catra's mental state, pushed her around once again. "Will you stop telling me what to do?" Adora looked at her, shocked. "I'm sick of this stupid place. Let's just get out of here."

"What is your problem? I was trying to save you." Adora asked, angry and confounded. She just saved Catra's life, and this was the thanks she got? "For the last time, I don't need you to save me. I've been doing just fine on my own. No thanks to you." Then Adora grabbed her hand. "Catra, wait. I'm sorry for staying. I couldn't leave everything behind, when I wasn't even sure you were of sound mind. I never wanted to let you go alone."

Then, another memory.

"Let's just get this over with." Catra grumbled. 

_ Catra was jumping from rope to rope with her innate agility. Meanwhile, Adora was struggling to keep up. "Catra, wait up!" "What's it like being the world's slowest person?" Catra's unorthodox words of encouragement gave Adora the courage to jump… into a trash bin. Then they chased each other, until they reached a room they would be familiar with, for different reasons. The Black Garnet chamber. "It's open." Catra said excitedly. "We're definitely not allowed in there." Adora declared, then ran into the chamber. Catra giddily followed.  _

"You don't have to go in there." Adora suggested to Catra. Catra chose pain anyways.  _ "Whoa!" Catra gazed at the Black Garnet. "Wow." After looking around, she touched the Black Garnet with her claws, the runestone administering a small zap. "Ma-maybe we should get out of here." Adora said a little too late, as Shadow Weaver came in, groaning. Their original plan, sneaking out when Shadow Weaver was distracted, was foiled when Adora gasped at Shadow Weaver's face behind the mask; a deformed exterior to match her equally repugnant character.  _

_ Seeing Catra and Adora look at her true face understandably enraged Shadow Weaver. "Get out!" The two were running for the door, when despite her commands, Shadow Weaver blocked the exit with her shadow magic. "Catra, you stay." She said calmly.  _

_ "What do you think you're doing in here?" "We were just playing." Catra pleaded. "Insolent child. I've come to expect such disgraceful behavior from you. But I will not allow you to drag  _ Adora  _ down as well." "Shadow Weaver, it wasn't her fault, it was my idea, too!" Adora desperately appealed to Shadow Weaver. Unfortunately, the nature of favoritism meant Adora was exempt from such punishments. Completely disregarding Adora, Shadow Weaver continued.  _

_ "You have never been anything more than a nuisance to me. I've kept you around this long because  _ Adora _ was fond of you. But if you ever do anything to jeopardize her future, I will  _ dispose  _ of you myself. Do you understand?" Catra's eyes, though stuck on Shadow Weaver, trembled in fear. "Please, stop!" Adora stood between Shadow Weaver and Catra.  _

_ This made Shadow Weaver relent, as the familiar machinery of the Fright Zone filled where there had only been darkness. Adora quickly ran to Shadow Weaver. "She didn't mean to." Shadow Weaver had no time for this. "Adora. You must do a better job of keeping her under control." Reorganizing a stray strand of her hair, she reminded Adora, "Do not let something like this happen again." They went back to their quarters, dejected.  _

Catra pushed Adora away as quickly as she could. "You always need to play the hero, don't you. Even when you were the villain." Adora, however, had a different idea. In teaching Adora the many forms of manipulation, Shadow Weaver had unintentionally given her a mean of resisting her own mind games. And Adora could see now that this was one of them. 

"Catra, stop! Can't you see? She was trying to drive us away! By… by making you jealous! And… making me see you as someone lesser, when you're my  _ equal _ ." Catra stopped in her rage. Did Adora just admit that she had been patronizing? "I'm sorry, I won't treat you like that ever again." Then they were locked in an embrace, that was only broken by another simulation.

_ A prepubescent Catra, starving from Shadow Weaver's punishment of being deprived of ration bars, walked into the storage room. There were ration bars stacked neatly in boxes, and if Catra could get their hands on them for just a minute, she would be able to stuff herself. But she was stopped by a pair of guards. "Stop. What are you doing here? Here to steal the ration bars?" The guard on the left asked.  _

_ "I know you're not allowed near the ration bars." The guard on the right knew about Catra, which worked to her advantage. No one knew Catra for herself. They knew Catra as  _ Adora _ 's best friend. "You know me? Good. Then you know Adora." "Upcoming Force Captain. So what?" "Well, Adora wants some ration bars, but she's too busy to get it herself. She wouldn't like it if you didn't let me get it for her, would she?" "…You better not be lying." the guard on the right relented surprisingly easily. "What? We're just letting her get the ration bars?" The left guard asked, outraged.  _

_ "Even we don't get to eat it!" "I know you're new here, but there are a few unwritten rules. The most important of them is, don't mess with Shadow Weaver or her favorite. And I'm not risking myself to stick to the formal rules."  _

_ And so, Catra walked away with 10 ration bars, and after eating two right around the corner, she quickly ran to her quarters. "Adora, Adora!" She called out. Adora, reading a book about the ins and outs of the Horde military, gingerly waved at Catra. Then she noticed something sticking out of her pockets, which worried her.  _

_ "Catra, did you steal the ration bars?" "Shh! I brought eight. We can eat four each." Catra felt guilty for not telling Adora the truth, but she technically didn't lie. And besides, she was hungry and Adora would understand. _

When the simulation ended, Adora was staring blankly at Catra. "Catra?" Adora asked, voice filled with disbelief. "Adora, I…" 

"How could you use me like that? Was that the first time? Or the last?" Adora asked, sorrow in her voice. The guilt eating her up inside, as well as Adora's questioning made Catra snap at Adora. "I was hungry. Okay? Not everyone gets what they want just because they're someone's favorite!" Tears welled up in Adora's eyes, hurt by what Catra said. "Let's just get out of this stupid place." Catra muttered.

The winding paths of the beacon was a labyrinth. After a few minutes of walking around in circles, they finally seemed to find an exit. They went through the bright light, and arrived in a clearing. 

_ There, Catra from a few months prior, was sobbing as she arrived at the Whispering Woods. Clawing her way through the forest, she encountered the Sword, and two rebels. Catra quickly dashed to the Sword. Except when she touched the Sword, she fainted once again.  _ Catra wished that the simulation wouldn't show what went inside her head while she was down. But unfortunately, it did. 

_ When she regained consciousness, or so she thought, she was in a room with Light Hope as her company. "Hello, Adora." she said. "But I'm not Adora. I'm Catra!" Shouted Catra.  _

_ “My name is Light Hope. I have been waiting a long time for you.”The woman continued on, unaffected. “But I could not reach you until you forged your connection with the sword.” _

_ “Are you listening? I’m not Adora!” Catra shouted out in frustration. “The sword was meant for you-” _

_ “I’m Catra! I found the sword. Not Adora. Not anyone else. Me!” Catra was on the verge of tears. Then, the woman flickered for an instant.  _

_ “Etheria has need of you, Catra.” _

Adora was in deep distress. The Sword was meant to be hers? "At least that explains why you didn't want me to come with you." Adora snarked, before running away. "Adora, wait!" But Adora ran away, as far as she could. As much as she Catra wanted to follow Adora, to explain what was going on, she couldn't follow her. When she noticed mechanical whirring and beeping, she turned around to see robotic spiders, more than she ever saw. "For the Honor of-" Catra's sword was knocked off by a burst of webbing. It looked like she would have to fight it as herself.

Adora was running as far as she could from this place.  _ "-need of you, Catra." "You always liked playing the hero-" "she wouldn't like it if you didn't let me get it-"  _ Adora swatted the holograms away, until she tripped. When she got up, it was the familiar quarters the two grew up in. 

_ A gap toothed Adora walked into the room, dejected. Catra was waiting for her in Adora's bed. "What did Shadow Weaver say?" She asked, preparing for the worst. "She said you can stay if I really wanted, but she also said you're a bad influence."  _

_ "Well, she's a bad influence!" Catra declared proudly. But she noticed Adora still hasn't cheered up. Usually when she made weird insults towards Octavia or Shadow Weaver, Adora would giggle and cheer up. "Adora, what's wrong? We're still friends, right?" Adora nodded.  _

_ "As long as we have each other, nothing bad can really happen. Like you said. I look out for you, you look out for me." Catra reassured Adora. "Promise?" Adora asked. "Promise."  _

"Promise." 

But for Adora, the words rang hollow. Now that she thought of it, there was a certain pattern to Catra. Whenever Adora got praise from an instructor or Shadow Weaver, Catra would always make her feel bad about it, then Adora would have to make it up to Catra in some way. The same thing happened when she got promoted to Force Captain: Adora had to steal a skiff and go on a joyride to appease her. 

She also used Adora without her knowing it. Of course, she had voluntarily helped out Catra in many occasions. Because that's what friends did for each other, right? Adora would help out Catra when she got sick, sometimes even faking symptoms so Shadow Weaver would give her the medications. Adora would help Catra out when she had trouble with the other cadets, mediating and covering for Catra. But what did Catra do to help  _ her _ ? Sneak in ration bars, and crayons, and she knew that at least some of those cases, Catra used her name to get what she wanted. Catra didn't help her when she was sick, Shadow Weaver did. Catra wouldn't help her when Adora got in trouble, she would have to face it herself. And the day Catra saw the Sword, she took it as her own and left. 

Shadow Weaver taught her all about manipulation, and with it, the ways to identify it.

And Catra had been manipulating her from the beginning.

When Adora reached Catra, she was hanging on to the webbing over a chasm. Catra was relieved to see Adora defeat the remaining bots, and walk up to her after picking up the Sword. "Adora, you're here! Help me, please." Catra cried out. 

But she wasn't here to save Catra. 

"This thing wouldn't work for me if I tried, right?" Then she yelled "For the honor of Grayskull!", turning her to She-Ra. "Well, what do you know?" Catra despaired, thinking that she was being replaced, when the runestone cracked once again. "Oh?" Adora, now She-Ra, raised an eyebrow, tapping at the runestone. "Must be because I overrode the bind with you and your sword. No, wait. My sword." 

"Adora, what are you doing?" Catra knew what was going on, though she tried so hard to deny it. She had turned.

"Catra, have you ever heard of the Cuckoo? It's a type of bird that doesn't build its own nest. Do you know what it does?" 

"What? Adora, help me up already!" Catra yelled. Adora continued on, unaffected. 

"It lays its eggs on other birds' nests, seeking the time until it eventually… pushes its 'siblings' off." 

A pause, the tension so thick it could be cut with a blade.

"You know, for so long, I thought we were friends."

"Adora, no, we are friends!"

Adora let out a bitter chuckle. "The sad thing is, I've spent all this time hoping you'd come back to the Horde, when really you were using me all along, dragging me down." She said, scraping the Sword against the webbing, making Catra drop down. She was now hanging on barely to a protruded edge on the cliff. 

"But I get it now. You were a cuckoo. You used me to survive, and when a better opportunity presented itself… you left." "Adora, no! Shadow Weaver- Shadow Weaver's been manipulating you!" 

Adora made a wry smile. 

"Yes. But then, so have you." 

"Adora, Adora,  _ no _ !" Blinking back tears as Adora walked away, Catra noticed the program she'd been wanting to talk to- Light Hope. "Catra. You must let go." And in her despair, she let go.

Adora exited the Beacon, back to her normal form, and the first thing she did was cry. Everything she thought she knew about her 'best friend' was wrong. And to think she spent so many favors, so many sleepless nights for her. Shadow Weaver noticed her weeping and went to her side. "Shadow Weaver, you were right." Adora mumbled. "Adora, I'm glad that you finally came to your senses. But you made me curious. Why did you change your mind?" "The beacon. It exposed Catra for who she was. A parasite." "Yes, Adora. Now, do you have the First Ones tech?" Adora pulled out the crystal from her pocket. "Good. Now let's go back home."

Back in the Fright Zone, Entrapta was quietly fine-tuning Emily as Scorpia talked about her missions with Adora. "Ah, and there's the day Adora and I were on a boat together. Did I ever tell you about that?" 

"I'm pretty sure you did." Entrapta then turned on her recorder, which contained the dialogue between Entrapta and Scorpia, the one where she talked about the mission to Salineas. "Yep, you did." 

Scorpia was still continuing on, though. "I think that's when we really made our connection, you know? Did you ever meet someone and you just instantly  _ click _ ?"

That was when Adora came in, now with new determinations. She would do whatever it takes to ruin everything Catra stood for. She would never let anyone use her again, not even Shadow Weaver. And she would climb to the top, no matter what it took. "Yes, it was like that with Emily." Entrapta answered Scorpia, oblivious of Adora's entrance. 

But Scorpia noticed. "What did the Rebellion do to you? You're filthy. Are you okay? Do you need first aid?  _ Do you need to be nursed tenderly back to health? _ " Adora smiled. Though Catra was never her friend, at least she got Kyle, Lonnie, and Rogelio, as well as Scorpia and… a princess? 

"Entrapta is alive? Why is she here?" Adora asked Scorpia, whispering to her. 

"Long story short, the rebels left her here, and Shadow Weaver let her stay. And is that She-Ra's sword?" 

"Long story, I'll explain later." Meanwhile, the pieces clicked together in Adora's mind. Apparently, there was a misunderstanding regarding Entrapta's 'demise'. Adora seeked to use it to her advantage. "So you must be the princess the Rebellion left behind." Adora said to Entrapta. 

Entrapta didn't say anything as she just nodded somberly. "Typical Catra. Just taking what they need and leaving them behind." Adora put her hand on Entrapta's shoulder. 

"But here, we actually care about you. Look at Scorpia there! She has pincers for hands. The Rebellion wouldn't accept her." Scorpia hid her hands behind her back, embarrassed. Then she whispered to Entrapta, "But the Horde did." Then she guessed that she was the reason they needed the First Ones tech. 

Adora handed the crystal over to Entrapta, who geeked out. "An intact data crystal? I have never seen one so perfectly preserved." Walking towards no particular direction, Entrapta continued. 

"This could be a game changer. Who knows what secrets it could contain?" Scorpia was excited. "Man, I knew Adora could do it. It's like I was telling you. She is the best friend ever." The phrase 'best friend' made Adora flinch, but she got over it. Scorpia was her real friend, and she would never be like Catra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did y'all think of it? Was the cuckoo metaphor weird? In the summary, I wrote Adora identifies manipulation. It means that she saw through Shadow Weaver's tactics, but failed to see that Catra's 'manipulation' wasn't with bad intent or whatever, and failed to see that the beacon was manipulating them as well.


	13. Episode 12. Light Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra makes a promise.
> 
> Adora defies her mentor.
> 
> Swift Wind talks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know how in the tags I said this work would be on hiatus till mid september? That was a lie. Unfortunately, due to me being a student, the upload schedule will be irregular and probably bi-monthly at most frequent. Sorry guys. I will pump out episodes bi-weekly after december 3rd.

As Catra plunged, scenes of her past were projected. "Hello, Catra." Light Hope. "Catra." Shadow Weaver. The three laughing together after they drove Shadow Weaver from Mystacor. 

"You used me to survive, and when a better opportunity presented itself… you left." Adora's betrayal. Or was it even a betrayal? Or did Adora finally see her as the wretched animal she was?

"For the honor of Grayskull!" Catra yelled in the projection.

"I need a little more time." Entrapta's last words, or so she thought.

The castle reminding her of such memories and her failures were too much for Catra. She screamed as she closed her eyes…

And woke up in a room she saw from the vision she had. 

"Hello, Catra. You've come at last."

Catra was angry. Light Hope was in control of the castle, and she chose to do this? "Light Hope. Why did you do all this? Why did you do the simulations? Thanks to you, Adora-"

"The automated defense system overrode me, and I had no control over the simulations from the start. But I am deeply sorry for what happened, Catra."

"Whatever. Just get to the point."

Catra braced for the worst. Was she not going to be She-Ra anymore? Would Light Hope lecture her about how the Sword was never meant to be Catra's, and how incredibly selfish she was for stealing the Sword from Adora?

"You need to recover  _ your _ sword."

  
  


Glimmer walked around in circles, waiting for Catra and Adora. "But shouldn't they be-  _ ugh! _ back by now?" Glimmer was part worried, and part irritated. "She said she was-  _ ugh! _ going to get Catra back to-  _ hrm! _ fix me! How long is that going to take? Ow!" Glimmer stubbed her toe on a chair, which was mostly fluff save for the basin. Unfortunately, the hard basin was where she got her toe stubbed. "And what kind of monster puts a chair here!" Glimmer yelled, inadvertently calling her past self a monster.

Bow could see that Glimmer was very anxious. "Okay, I'm worried, too, Glimmer, but taking out on the furniture isn't going to help." "We can't  _ sit _ here and hope that she comes back eventually. We have to do something." Glimmer said, turning to Bow and pleading to him. "Like what?" 

Then, there was a scratching noise on the door. "Catra!" The two ran to the door and opened it to find… the panther from Thaymor. "Close, but not quite." He? She? They? said. It was hard to tell, since the voice was very androgynous in nature. "Our cat!" Bow yelled. 

"I am my own  _ panther _ . Say that again at your own risk." "Oh, okay." Bow said, a little intimidated. "What should we call you?" 

"Call me… Swift Wind." The big cat purred. Swift Wind thought the rebels were taking him pretty well. It was very rare for a panther to talk, and despite that, they- "Our cat can talk!" Bow yelled. Apparently, it took awhile for the fact to get through to their dense heads.

"I said, I am my own cat- I mean panther! But anyways, I'm here because-" 

"They're a talking cat!" Bow yelled once again.

"I'm a he, and we've established that."

"He has  _ wings _ !" Glimmer yelled. Apparently, it was going to take some time for them to 'adjust'. "Okay, I'll give you a moment to freak out, and then we need to talk."

They took a moment to freak out, and now they needed to talk.

"Great! I think Catra needs our help. Ever since she transformed me, cursing me with intelligence when I've been just fine without it, I've been able to feel where she is at all times. It's like instinct, but not necessary for survival and inconvenient." Swift Wind faced the window. "But now I feel a pull, as if I'm being summoned to her side. As part of Catra's clowder, I need your help. Will you come?"

Though glitching, Glimmer was still determined to help her friend. "Of course. Lead the way." Bow was, being the protective member of the group, worried. "But Glimmer, your glitching." "Doesn't matter when Catra's in danger, and Adora's missing. Catra and Adora saved us from the Horde. Now it's time for us to save Catra, and find Adora. You in?"

"Always."

But Bow thought of a potential obstacle. "But I don't think your mom is going to like us leaving so soon after our last mission." 

"She doesn't need to know. We'll sneak out and be back before my mom even realizes we're gone." In a display of good comedic timing, Queen Angella was waiting outside the door, just about to knock when Glimmer opened the door for her.

"Mom!" Glimmer yelled to a confused Angella, then realized that they were supposed to play it cool. "What are you doing here?"

"Coming to see why a winged panther was sneaking into your room." The panther raised his brow. "I thought I wasn't seen by anyone." 

"You're too big for that. And Glimmer, you should get going if you want to track down Catra."

"You're not gonna stop us?" Glimmer asked, confused from the sudden change in Angella’s attitude.

“Glimmer, I told you I regretted giving up after your father died. I will not consign you to the same regrets.”

Then she cupped Glimmer, not in the way Shadow Weaver would cup Adora, but in a sincere, loving way.

“Commander Glimmer, I order you to continue your mission to find Catra and bring her back home.”

“Right away, your majesty. Come on!”

Bow gave a quick salute to Angella before running off, and so did Swift Wind.

Then he turned back for a moment, saying “When we’re back, I’d like to talk about the mice problem-or rather, the lack of it.” Then he left again.

“And please be careful.” Angella whispered. 

  
  


In the Fright Zone, Adora was lying in her quarters, thinking about Catra, the Sword, her decision, and Shadow Weaver, when a note landed on her face, falling from the vents. Adora read the note which said “Come to my lab”, barely eligible. ‘Must be Entrapta,’ she thought. 

“You know Entrapta, you can always- what’s going on here?” Entrapta was nowhere to be seen, just Scorpia and Emily. Then the vents burst open, Entrapta flooding out. “Adora, you got my note!”

“Yes, and uh, could you write a bit better? The handwriting is all like, barely legible.”

“I will take that into account!” Then she turned on the recorder, and whispered “I won’t.”

“I heard that.”

“Whaaaat? Anyways, I’ve made great strides in analyzing the data from the First Ones data crystal you brought me. Look.” Entrapta said, busily assembling a contraption of some kind. Booping some buttons brought it to life.

As impressed as Adora was, she was skeptical of the sources of the various parts and equipment. “And where did all this come from?”

“Oh, you know, here and there, rooms.” Entrapta said while focusing on her work.

Adora was now very terrified of a real possibility of Entrapta being spotted. 

“Entrapta. This is  _ very _ important. Were there people in these rooms?”

“Well, not when I went back to take the stuff.”

“Oh, thank Hordak. Entrapta, make sure you’re not caught by anyone, okay? I’m not powerful enough to protect you yet.”

“Okay. So, the data...” Entrapta squealed in excitement before she could finish her sentence. She then inserted the crystal into the finished contraption. The contraption whirred to life, displaying data that Adora couldn’t quite understand. 

“Ha! Wow. Whoa.” Scorpia started writing something on the note, or so Adora thought. 

“Look at these readings. It’s incredible. This seems to confirm my theories about the techno-organic nature of First Ones machinery, resulting in thaumaturlogical compatibility between magic and science! Hahahahahaha!” Entrapta babbled, bursting into a fit of laughter in the end. 

Partly worried and partly intrigued, Adora asked “Does that mean the First Ones tech is part magic? Can you explain it so it’s easier for us to understand?”

“It seems like Scorpia understands.” Entrapta said, pointing to Scorpia who was frantically jotting down something, or so Entrapta thought. 

“Scorpia is drawing us holding hands.” Adora corrected her.

“I call it Super Pal Trio.” Scorpia proudly presented three crudely drawn figures, explaining them each. “This is me, this is Adora with the Sword, and I think it’s clear who this one is. Come on, I mean I’m a bit of an artist.”

An awkward silence passed. 

“I looked at the rock, which is a cry-stal, and used math. Wait, do I have to explain math to you?”

Adora groaned, initiating contact between her palms and her cheeks. “So what does the discovery mean? Is it going to be useful to us?”

“Useful? Ha!” Entrapta laughed. “Useful doesn’t even put it! This could change  _ everything.  _ Etheria’s not just a planet. Whatever the First Ones did to it, it went deep.”

“Which means?” Adora inquired, hopeful.

“You’re asking me about my theories? I’ve waited  _ years _ for someone to ask me about my theories. Hang on. I made a model.” Entrapta then snared the rest of the Super Pal Trio, taking them somewhere else.

  
  
  


“Uh, so who exactly are you again?” Catra asked, irritated. She had to get back to her friends, but instead she was stuck in this room with a stuck-up hologram.

“I am Light Hope, Etheria’s facilitator. I was created by the First Ones, as you call them.”

“And who are the First Ones?”

“The First Ones were explorers who journeyed from beyond the stars to settle Etheria. They built this place for She-Ra, the Crystal Castle.”

Then she randomly reappeared in front of Catra, scaring her. 

“Catra, I have waited so long for another She-Ra. And now, the time has come to show you your destiny.”

“I don’t care about that stuff. How do I get back to my friends?”

Light Hope continued on, unaffected. “You are She-Ra, Etheria’s champion, appointed by the First Ones to protect and unite our planet. There have been many before you. But the line was broken. You are the first She-Ra in a thousand years.”

  
  
  


Entrapta pointed to a metal sphere with lights all connected to each other decorating the surface. “Behold, Etheria. The First Ones didn’t just settle on the surface of Etheria. Their technology runs throughout the planet’s core. This whole planet, it’s all  _ First Ones tech. _ ” Adora’s eyes widened at the implications. 

_ “Everything on Etheria is connected. The princesses are granted power over the elements through their Runestones. As She-Ra, it is your duty to bring the princesses together. Only then can balance be restored to Etheria.” Catra looked around, looking at the holograms of the princesses that flared up. She noticed Glimmer, and subsequently her current mission.  _

_ “Yeah, yeah, that’s great and all, but-” _

_ “You are correct. It is great.” _

  
  
  


“And what are the lights supposed to be?” Adora asked, though she guessed they were some kind of keystones, hubs to Etheria’s magic.

“Runestones. From the data I’ve managed to extract, they regulate the planet through the princesses. They’re directly connected to each other and to the planet’s power grid in a delicate balance.”

“Uh, Entrapta, that’s great and all, but you talked about how the entire planet was First Ones tech, right?” Entrapta nodded.

“Can it be hacked?” Adora asked timidly, waiting to get corrected, or how it was impossible and Adora was an idiot for some reasons. But the answer was surprising.

“Actually, I was just getting to that point! These runestones, because of said reasons, are our best access point to hack the planet.”

_ “When the princesses and their elements are in balance, Etheria functions as it should. But the Horde is destroying us in their quest for power.” Then Light Hope activated holograms of the Horde’s various atrocities, like their assault on the Sea Gate, the razing of nearby nature, the poisoning of the Heart Blossom… “There is no predicting what they will do next.” _

“And what exactly can we do by hacking the planet? Can we make Bright Moon have an earthquake?” Adora asked, with more confidence this time. 

“Nope! The Runestones are more regulators than components with active powers, so we can’t cause spontaneous tectonic movements. But if you want, we can accelerate it so Bright Moon would sink to the sea a thousand years quicker.”

“And how long would the accelerated process take?”

“Ten million! Minus a thousand.”

“Okay. What else can we do?” Adora asked, embarrassed and disappointed.

“We can do a lot of things! Destroy ecosystems, cause irregular climate… but it’s not so simple. There’s only a handful of Runestones in the whole world.”

“Runestones? You mean, like the Black Garnet? Cuz… we have the Black Garnet.” Scorpia mentioned the Runestone casually, as if Shadow Weaver would let Entrapta have access to her most prized possession.

“The Black Garnet? You have a Runestone?  _ The Fright Zone had a Runestone? _ ”

“Uh, duh. It was my family’s. But when the Horde landed, we gave it to Hordak, who then gave it to Shadow Weaver, who- you tell a friend, he tells a friend, it’s one of those things.”

Sadly, Entrapta didn’t quite get it as Scorpia and Adora were the only friends she had, or so she thought. But she was now aware that a Runestone was in the possession of the Horde.

“Okay, calm down, Entrapta! What are you going to do to the Black Garnet?”

“If we hack the Runestone grid, we could boost the Garnet’s power and use it for… well, anything. As a power source, as-”

“A weapon?” Adora asked.

“Potentially! But it’s like my other experiments, the results will be explosive.”

“I don’t think Shadow Weaver will like that.” Scorpia told Entrapta. Because even the strongest Force Captain feared Shadow Weaver.

“No, she won’t. We’ll have to think carefully on this one.” Adora pondered the possibilities, and came up with a plan.

“Entrapta, can you hack the Sword? The First Ones ruin I’ve been to mentioned how the Sword of Protection was a portable Runestone.”

“Uh… I’m not sure. It’s not directly connected to the planet, and in the damaged state you brought it in, I’m not sure if it would be legible enough for it to be our entry point.”

“Entrapta, you’re sure you can hack the Runestone, right?” Adora asked, very carefully.

“If I had access?”

“If you had access.”

“Absolutely!” Entrapta squealed in excitement.

“I will get you the Black Garnet. Scorpia? Come with me.” Adora declared, walking off to somewhere with Scorpia who enthusiastically followed. The three were unaware of an imp eavesdropping, who delivered the discussion to Hordak…

_ “I don’t care about this stuff! I came here to learn how to heal my friend!”  _

_ “Your… friend?” Light Hope asked, intrigued. _

_ “Yes. Shadow Weaver did something to Spar-Glimmer and took her powers away. I need to figure out how to heal her.” _

_ “Her connection with her Runestone was disrupted.” _

_ “She-Ra can fix that, right?” Catra asked, fairly certain that she could, considering She-Ra’s whole schtick was restoring balance. _

_ “You will be able to do many incredible things with training, and your Sword.” _

_ “And, uh… how long will that take? The training, I mean. I can get the Sword back soon, ish, I think.” _

_ “Years.” Light Hope answered nonchalantly.  _

_ “Years? Sparkles doesn’t have years. She’s hurt because of Adora!... because of me. I messed up. Sparkles, Arrow Boy, and Twintails… it’s my fault. I have to fix it.” _

_ “Yes. Your mission is to fix the planet.” _

_ “My mission is to help my friends. That’s why I came here.” _

_ “You are She-Ra. Your purpose is to protect all of Eternia. You cannot help only your friends.” _

_ “Why not? I can fix the planet later, Glimmer needs fixing now.” _

_ “Catra, you do not yet realize the power you have, or will have. You are distracted by your attachments. There was one before you who could not let go. Her name was Mara.” _

_ “Mara? Like that weird old lady’s Mara? What happened to her?” Catra asked, looking at the hologram of her. _

_ “Mara was the last She-Ra before you. She struggled with a power that she could not control until it became too much for her mind.” _

_ “She snapped?” _

_ “She was compromised. She gave in to fear and faulty reasoning. Her desperate actions led to devastation. Mara stranded us in the empty dimension of Despandos. She broke the She-Ra line. She nearly destroyed us.” _

_ Light Hope turned to face Catra. “Catra, I have waited here for a thousand years alone. I did not know if I would ever see another She-Ra, let alone two. You must first get the Sword back, then learn to become the She-Ra that Mara could not be.” _

_ “Then let me out already! The Sword’s in Adora’s hands, and the Horde will be unstoppable with her as She-Ra.” _

_ “Yes. However, you have to promise that you will come back after the Sword is retrieved.” _

_ “I will.” _

“Everything’s going fine, right?” Adora asked, as Entrapta and Scorpia continued work. 

“Adora, what is the meaning of this? Have Catra’s insolence rubbed off on you?”

“Shadow Weaver, we were just… uh-” Scorpia tried to make an excuse, which was cut off by a “Silence!”

But Adora finished Scorpia’s sentence. “-attempting to utilize the Black Garnet for more practical purposes.”

“Such defiance, Adora. Do you really think you can survive here without my favor? I never thought you would be so rebellious, nor so bold as to openly rebel. After all, you never stood up for Catra.”

“I was powerless then. I have the power now.” Adora remarked, not changing her stone-faced expression.

“Oh? It will be my pleasure to put you in your place, Cadet.” Scorpia hid behind cover, and Entrapta tried her best to cover Emily’s eye.

“I’m sorry, Shadow Weaver, but I got clearance.” Adora smirked.

“Absurd. By whose authority?”

“ _ By mine. _ ” Hordak spoke, with dramatic timing. The three made sure to Bow to the leader of the Horde.

“Lord Hordak, I don’t understand.”

“Your protege and Entrapta have been working on a way to meld this strange First Ones tech, with our machines, to weaponize it. I found out and was intrigued. I gave Force Captain Adora and her team my blessing to go ahead. So understand, Shadow Weaver. I am displeased with your interruption.”

“My Lord, you’re really going to let this- this  _ princess _ tinker with my Runestone?” Shadow Weaver asked in an almost accusatory tone, clearly outraged at Hordak.

“Her ‘tinkering’ has boosted the firepower of every weapon she’s touched. So yes, she gets to ‘tinker’ with whatever she wants.  _ Including  _ the Black Garnet, which is mine to give or take as I see fit.”

“You can’t, you can’t do this! I alone have learned how to draw power from it, a feat no sorceress has done before. I have unlocked its potential!” Shadow Weaver’s desperation and anger had turned her voice uncharacteristically high-pitched, almost whiny. 

“And you’ve wasted it on parlor tricks. Force Captain Adora, proceed. The Garnet is yours.”

“Yes, Lord Hordak.” Adora said, then nodded. 

“ _ No! _ ” Shadow Weaver wailed as black tendrils shot up from her, destroying the screens.

“Stop her! Don’t let her-”

“You will not take what is mine!” Shadow Weaver screamed as she forced power from the Black Garnet, releasing a wave of energy which engulfed Adora, Entrapta, and Scorpia. 

“Adora, you will pay the price for this betrayal.” Shadow Weaver regained composure, as her signature binding magic forced Adora to kneel in pain.

“Once that princess is gone, Lord Hordak will have no choice but to return the Garnet to  _ me. _ And to think I had such high hopes for you, Adora.” Shadow Weaver’s voice was jovial as she tightened the grip on the Force Captain.

“Like… you ever cared for me!” Adora yelled, her voice almost a cry of pain. 

“You’re right, Adora. No one has cared for you. And no one will care for you when I wipe your memory, and with it any trace of your insolence.”

“That’s… argh! where… you’re wrong. Catra may not have cared for me, nor you… but I’m  _ never  _ alone.” Adora confidently said, looking beyond Shadow Weaver’s shoulder. Shadow Weaver turned too late, to see Lonnie swing her staff toward the warlock.

With one satisfying sound, the gem connecting her to the Runestone was shattered, along with it any trace of Shadow Weaver’s persona. “No-!” Shadow Weaver yelled as the binding magic faded. “Come back. Come back to me, comebacktome-” 

Adora would have scoffed at Shadow Weaver’s pathetic state, if she wasn’t Adora’s former superior and caregiver. She almost felt sympathy for her. Almost.

“Lonnie, Rogelio? Restrain the traitor. We won’t have to worry about her any longer.”

Rogelio, peeking from the door, entered the room, holding hands with an even more scared Kyle. Then, Rogelio and Lonnie restrained her, taking her to the prison compound. Kyle followed, excited about Lonnie’s takedown of Shadow Weaver. “Aw, man! Rogelio, you saw Lonnie hit her like-”

Smiling, Adora offered Entrapta the opportunity to boot the machine herself. Entrapta, being Entrapta, enthusiastically obliged. 

“All right, everyone, let’s get weird.” Entrapta squealed in glee as she activated the machine.

With one flick, the Black Garnet was supercharged. Scorpia worriedly pointed at the shadows, or rather, how they were converging to the Runestone. The Garnet released its energy to the sky, and lightning covered the skies of the Fright Zone…

  
  
  


Bow and Glimmer were trekking the Whispering Woods with the big cat with wings, who seemed to be unable to shut up. To make matters worse, he was a downer.

“And then I realized I can think! Which meant I could get sad, have existential dread… Which made me name myself Swift Wind, after the swift winds of entropy which will eventually consume us all.”

Glimmer heard something, which wasn’t hard since she was trying to listen to anything but the extremely pessimistic ranting of the big cat. “Do you hear that?” She said, referring to the rustling noise she heard. A herd of deer ran from something. Then the bug thing, from the time they first met Catra. The two assumed that the deer were running away from the creature.

But it wasn’t the case. 

“What was that about?” Glimmer asked, fearful of potential predators more deadly than the insectoid.

“I feel something. We should run before the swift winds become even swifter- no, we have to get Catra. Catra, then run.”

“Swift Wind. What is it?” Bow asked, wishing that the cat would speak more coherently.

“A bad thing. Hurry.”

  
  
  


“Amazing. The garnet is siphoning energy at a near exponential rate. Yet the output is still building.” Entrapta was blown away by the readings. Adora, not so much.

“What does that mean?” Adora asked.

“It means things are getting interesting.”

  
  
  
  


The rebels and Swift Wind, were walking through a now grayed Whispering Woods. glimmer rubbed her palms, then noticed a snowflake. 

“It’s… snowing?” Glimmer was very confused. This was not the time for snow.

“That’s impossible. It never snows in the Whispering Woods.” Bow was also very confused. This was not the place for snow.

Then the snow abruptly exploded into a full-blown blizzard. “What’s happening?” Bow asked, feeling cold in many places, especially his lower stomach. 

“The bad thing!” Swift Wind yelled. The red thunderstorm and the blizzard could not be explained by any of the rebels. 

“We can’t stay here! Swift Wind, do you sense Catra?” Bow asked, frantic for answers. 

Swift Wind concentrated, his wings now shining. “There! She’s over there!” He said, pointing at the beacon. 

They saw Catra at the exit. “What’s going on here?” Catra asked, confused by the thunder-snow storm. 

“We don’t know!” Swift Wind replied. This confused Catra. “Wait, is that Swift Wind? And he can talk. Well, not like it’s the craziest thing that happened today.” Then Catra remembered her new purpose. 

“Come on, we have to get to Bright Moon.”

“Uh, Catra? Where’s your Sword?” Glimmer asked. Catra’s face flushed. 

“I’ll explain on the way home.” And the four took off on Swift Wind’s back. And in the skies, the rebels made an important discovery. The Woods were only the tip of the iceberg. 

“It's not just the woods, it’s-” “It’s the entire world.” Catra finished Glimmer’s sentence. 

“Bright Moon. Swift Wind, hurry!” Glimmer realized the implications of the Whispering Woods freezing over, and consequently hurried.

  
  
  


In the Fright Zone, now plagued with lightning, Scorpia and Adora watched over the results of their actions. “What do you think is happening?” Scorpia asked. 

“I don’t know… But I can work with this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly this wasn't the most exciting episode for me and I think it kinda shows. The episode isn't the best even by my standards but I think this is at least decent enough to upload? Constructive criticism very appreciated.


	14. Episode 13. Battle of Bright Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra fights the greatest fight of her life yet.
> 
> Adora's second thoughts are quashed.
> 
> The Force Captains and the Princesses duke it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betcha thought I forgot about this, haven't you?  
> ...I have. But I've worked on this in my head for a while now, and I thought I should get this over with to get the spicy S2 and S3 character arcs going.
> 
> This chapter might be controversial bc the Force Captains make a proper appearance.  
> If yall want I'll make another version without the Force Captains.

“Adora, you gotta see this!” Scorpia yelled. Adora went inside to see the monitors displaying the state of Etheria. The state of Etheria was a total train wreck, with Earthquakes, weather anomalies, and various other natural disasters. 

“Tidal waves, firestorms, earthquakes. Man, Etheria’s really taking this hard. I mean, yay for us. But also, whoa.”

A chaotic presence started spinning from behind Adora, making her way across the room. 

“The experiment has been more effective than I could ever have dreamed. This proves my hypothesis  _ correct _ ! With the Black Garnet functioning at 200% power, the precarious equilibrium that governs all of Etheria’s natural functions has been thrown into complete chaos, no doubt, as a result of the other elemental Runestones weakening!”

Adora stopped Entrapta's spinning, since it was making Adora dizzy. But the last sentence, it sounded important. “Say, you said the other Runestones are weakened, right?” 

Entrapta nodded.

“What does that mean, exactly?”

“You mean like the definition of weakened, or like-”

“What would the consequences of the Runestones weakening be, other than the weather being weird?”

“Oh. The elemental princesses would be weakened. You don’t have to worry about me and Scorpia. I don’t have a runestone, and Scorpia doesn’t appear to have any connection to the Black Garnet anymore- if she ever did.”

“Huh? Somebody say my name?”

“So what you’re saying is that the Princesses are weakened, while the Whispering Woods are freezing over?”

“Yeah, why?”

Adora had an idea. She would conquer Bright Moon in one fell swoop while the Princesses were weakened. But she had to be cautious as well as quick. If she were to barge in recklessly, Catra could outsmart them. If she was too slow, she might not have enough time for the invasion to run its course before the Black Garnet had to be restored to its normal state, lest Etheria be ruined forever.

“Scorpia? Call an emergency meeting of the Force Captains and get a strike force ready. We’re going to Bright Moon.”

“Bright Moon? Why?”

“The princess alliance is scattered, which gives us time to plan a proper invasion. In the best case scenario, they won’t bother us. Even if they were to reassemble, the weakened Princesses should be no match for the Force Captains. And with the Whispering Woods frozen over, we can finally get a proper invasion force headed there.”

  
  
  


Angella prepared the shield to guard Bright Moon and the Moonstone against the unnatural weather that even Angella, within her immortal life, hadn’t seen. Then she focused her power to resonate with the energy of the Moonstone, channeling it upwards to light a beacon of distress.

Which also became the North Star for four rebels flying above the skies of Bright Moon. 

“It’s Bright Moon!” Glimmer yelled in excitement. Then, a realization as she recognized its signal. “It’s the distress beacon.”

“Hang on.” Swift Wind quickly turned around, flying to the platform where the Moonstone- and Angella- were located. 

“Mom, what’s going on?” Glimmer hugged Angella, rightfully worried about the current affair of things. 

“The elements are out of harmony. The Moonstone is using all its power to counteract the glowing cloud of darkness.” Then she faced Glimmer, just as worried as her daughter. 

“But it’s not enough. It’s taking nearly all my strength just to keep my connection with it.”

Catra pointed towards the center of the storms. “That cloud is coming from the Fright Zone. Probably Shadow Weaver messing with the Black Garnet.”

“So what’s our plan? We do have a plan, right? Guys?” Bow.

Catra contemplated their position. The princesses might not even come, She-Ra was unavailable, and the Whispering Woods were frozen over. 

A perfect setup for an invasion. “There will be time until the invasion comes, since Adora is cautious.”

“An invasion?” Bow panicked. “What invasion?”

“If you haven’t noticed, Arrow Boy, the Whispering Woods are frozen over, and the Princess Alliance is gone and Adora knows it. If I were in the same situation I would have called a strike force and just stormed Bright Moon. Fortunately, Adora is nothing if not careful. She'll take time to prepare, and that's the closest to a chance we got.”

Back at the War Room, the situation turned out more dire than it seemed. “Our scouts reported gatherings of the Force Captains, as well as their respective legions. They’re preparing a massive invasion.” Bow reported, next to the ever stern General Juliet.

“We must protect Bright Moon at all costs. If the Moonstone is destroyed, there will be nothing left to stop the darkness.”

“Someone must have seen the distress beacon by now. Why hasn’t anyone come?” Bow asked, but the cynic Catra knew the answer. They were too busy protecting their own realms. 

“The alliance is broken, and other princesses have their own kingdoms to protect. No one’s coming.”

The moment she said it, a guard rushed in the room, signalling the arrival of someone in a frantic way. “Someone’s come!”

Catra allowed herself to hope- was it the Princesses, somehow reconciling their differences to help out with Bright Moon?

It was Spinerella and Netossa.

  
  
  


“All right,” Adora called out to the Force Captains, “You may have noticed the weather out there is a little… off.”

“Off? I nearly got struck by lightning on my way here!” Vultak squacked. 

“Honestly, it would be better if you did. You would make a better meal than a Force Captain.” Octavia said, humiliating the avian Force Captain in front of everyone else. It was enough to shut the normally verbose Force Captain for the rest of the briefing.

“Quiet! The entire planet is ‘off balance’ since too much power is being relegated to the Black Garnet. Which opens up a window-” Adora was interrupted once again.

“Shadow Weaver must be having the time of her life.” This time, it was Force Captain Leech. 

“Well, about that… she’s been deposed. I’m second in command.” Adora said, nodding to Scorpia who nodded back. 

Leech raised his nonexistent eyebrow. “Oh?” Then he chuckled.

“Are you implying that  _ you  _ got rid of  _ her _ ?” The Force Captains looked at each other.

Then burst into laughter.

“I’m sorry, but there’s no way that  _ you _ of all people had the guts to-” Octavia smiled as she wiped the tear from her one remaining eye, then stopped as she saw the stern look in Adora’s face.

A silence fell over the room as they realized what this young Force Captain had done.

“To continue with what I was saying, the planet being off balance also froze over the Whispering Woods. Does anyone know what that means?”

“Oh, I know this one!” Scorpia giggled as she nudged the Force Captain next to her, Mantenna.

“We all do, Scorpia. So shut up.” Mantenna whispered to Scorpia. Then turning towards Adora, he put on a smile. “Well, first of all, congrats on your ‘promotion’. I knew you had it in you. The Whispering Woods freezing over means Bright Moon is defenseless, is it not? Truly genius, I tell you!”

“Yes. And the only two things that stop us, the Princess Alliance and She-Ra, have been neutralized. The former shattered with the loss of one of their own, and the second...”

Adora pulled out the Sword of Protection, its gemstone cracked and fizzing, leaking energy.

“For the Honor of Grayskull!” An eight foot tall princess, albeit with no tail or cat ears, emerged. The Force Captains looked on shocked, especially Grizzlor. Grizzlor fell out of his chair, startled. “She’s a princess!”

“Relax, furball. It’s just her.” Leech reminded Grizzlor.

“The second, I have appropriated for myself. Any questions?” A silence.

“Good. Then here’s how the invasion of Bright Moon will go...”

  
  
  


“Oh hey… Spinerella and Netossa.” Bow tried his best to sound not awkward. Which he failed at.

"You still don't know what we do, do you?"

Bow nearly remembered them. Nearly. "Uh… no."

"Seriously? It's in the name. Net-tossa?"

Nothing from the clueless archer.

"I toss nets, okay?" Netossa crossed her arms in frustration.

"Yes darling, you have beautiful nets." Spinerella comforted Netossa.

"At least you have powers, which is more than I've got. But it doesn't matter. I don't need magic to fight."

"Glimmer, not only are you without your powers, but you are also still glitching. It's too dangerous."

"Your mom's right. And, like I've told you on the way home, She-Ra is gone. Adora is She-Ra now."

"I should have known she would betray us! What happened in the temple, anyways?" Glimmer asked, outraged.

"I  _ don't _ want to talk about it, okay?" Catra then turned away from the Best Friend Squad.

"No one is going to force you to talk, Catra. But do know that we're here for you, okay?"

Catra pondered the situation. The Horde army would be extremely difficult even with She-Ra, and now their commander possessed the power of the legendary warrior.

The princesses would not come.

Catra was practically useless without She-Ra.

There was only one outcome if they fought.

"I'm going to surrender." Catra darkly said.

"What? Catra, we are  _ never _ ..."

"If we fight, we're gonna die. And Adora will never stop until I am utterly defeated. So, I will surrender myself to Adora and hope that's enough for her. If it isn't, at least you'll have time to get away."

"Catra, there's no way that-"

"Just listen, okay? I've been treated like I'm _useless_ , a worthless piece of garbage for my entire life, and you people treated me like I was valuable, okay? Not that I actually was, since I kinda pushed Adora to the other side, but I would rather die knowing you  _ idiots _ got a second chance than run away and live with my failure."

Bow realized that there was no way to change Catra's mind right now. But he had to buy time, for Catra's sake. "Catra. What if we wait for the princesses first? Then if they don't arrive in time, you can fake surrender."

"...Fine. But you need to start packing, now."

But then, the ground shook. Bow despaired. Were they out of time already?

But Catra heard something more. The sound of water sloshing. The rapid growth of vegetation. The ever obnoxious "...adventure!" And the less chaotic "The battle didn't even begin yet."

The princesses have arrived. And with it, hope.

  
  
  


Adora felt uneasy, and it wasn’t just the tank shaking. She’d been thinking about the choice she made in the Castle, and the more she thought about it, it seemed too cruel to leave Catra to die. Sure, she was a toxic manipulator, but it was only because Shadow Weaver made her one. The Catra she knew when she was young was sweet, kind, though a little bashful, and though Adora would not admit it to anyone, but she felt something more than friendly affection for her. 

Not that Catra returned the sentiment, seeing how she treated her in the past. But maybe, just maybe, there was hope for Catra yet. If Catra was still alive, she would first give Catra a chance to surrender. And if she did, perhaps they could start working on reforging their ruined friendship, maybe even forge a bond stronger than even friendship. Catra would have to give up the new friends she made and submit to the Horde, submit to her. 

If she didn't, well, the world didn't need a monster like her.

  
  
  


The princesses were now gathered at the war room, all briefed on what was going on. 

And as it turned out, Netossa knew best about the Force Captains. 

“All right. The Force Captains were chosen and trained to counter each of the princesses. The ones who stood against the Horde, anyways. So, what we’ll need to do is make sure they don’t get a favorable matchup against us, and if they do, you’ll need to counter their counters.”

“First is Mermista. The Horde will most likely try to pit Octavia against you. She looks like an octopus with limbs and a torso. Her home turf is water, so trying to sweep her away like you do to others won't work. Best case, I fight her. Worst case, you do. Honestly, she doesn't have much of a weakness so watch out for her first and foremost, okay?”

Mermista nodded. She knew Octavia was the reason her dad lacked an eye, and she was down for revenge, even if her dad was more than a little deadbeat.

"And Perfuma, you'll probably fight against Leech. He's a greenish slug-thing. He can leech life out of living things, so you have to avoid him, leave him to other people. Fortunately, his rate of leeching life force is not that fast, and he's frail, so he's not really lethal. In my opinion, the best case scenario is Glimmer fighting him since the glitches will prevent the use of his abilities. Or so I think."

"Glimmer, you'll probably fight against Grizzlor. He was your late father's enemy, and he is extremely resistant to magic. Probably doesn't matter for you though, since you can't do magic."

Glimmer scowled, from the mention of her father.

"I'll fight Mantenna. He will present himself as frail, timid, and weak, but that thing is deadly and he knows it. He shoots a variety of beams from his eyes, and it usually passes right through my nets. Best case scenario is Frosta fighting him, but she's not here, so Perfuma will have to do."

"And finally, Spinny." Her voice was way softer than the ones spoken to others.

"You'll encounter Vultak. Vultak is a raptor who can fly, so your usual streams of air to lift him up in the air won't work. He's lightweight, though. Strike him down with your gust and everything will be okay. If not, I can catch him mid air with my nets."

"What about me?" Catra asked.

"You? You'll fight Adora."

  
  
  


The princesses were ready. Bow, Glimmer and Catra readied themselves with weapons from the royal armory, especially Glimmer who was entrusted with her father's staff. Angella bolstered the shields. Mermista made a temporary lake from which she could draw water upon. 

And the ground trembled once again, this time from the soldiers of the Fright Zone.

As the artillery started wearing down the shields, the troops and the Force Captains started rushing down to the castle.

With Adora as their vanguard. Adora held aloft the damaged Sword of Protection, and yelled, "For the Honor of Grayskull!"

A blinding flash, then a glowing warrior. She-Ra charged into the castle, ready to strike down the first princess she met. 

"Hey, Adora."

"Catra?" Adora tripped over herself, in part due to her unfamiliarity over the new body, and in part due to surprise. She thought about giving Catra a second chance, but she wasn't sure if there was a Catra left to forgive.

She was glad Catra survived, though. One way or another, Adora would get what she wanted. Catra was strictly the bonus. 

"Look, Catra. I'm sorry I left you to die."

"Oh, you are, are you?" Catra weaved and dodged Adora's fists, leading her towards somewhere away from the battlefield.

"Ugh- you've been manipulating me my whole life, and you even took  _ my  _ sword from me! You should be thanking me for- "

"For what, not killing me and letting gravity do your job for you?" Catra rolled and slashed Adora's legs.

" **I'm giving you a second chance, okay?** "

  
  
  


The battle was not a favorable one for the Rebellion. The shield was downed. Netossa, as savvy as she was with the Force Captains, was not aware of Scorpia: the one with the strength to even rival She-Ra. And Grizzlor was not present for some reason. And to make things worse, amidst the chaos, she lost track of the bot that was heading Angella's way.

Mermista had been doing a relatively good job holding off the Horde, entrenching herself in the lake before Octavia forced her to the surface and Vultak snatched her away. Netossa barely got her back before she was taken captive, netting Vultak. But unfortunately, she was now a fish out of water and with the exits blocked off by Horde troopers, she was practically powerless.

Netossa herself wasn't doing so hot either. Taking care of herself against Mantenna and his null energy beam was hard enough, but she had to take care of the other princesses who were not familiar with battle. Leech was having the time of his life fighting with Perfuma, who barely held off his advances with vine. Netossa couldn't reach her from this position, when a burst of wind blew the troopers away. A graceful pink figure descended elegantly. Spinerella.

Spinerella agreed to buy some time for Mermista as she scrambled back into her lake. Netossa would deal with Leech and Octavia, who was out of the lake and heading towards the Princess of Plumeria.

Glimmer was heading toward Angella to protect her, when a giant figure stepped in front of her. Scorpia. "Where were we?"

And Glimmer thought she wouldn't be coming back after Netossa wrapped them in nets and Spinerella sent them hurtling backwards. But she had to get through Scorpia to protect her mom. 

"Oh yeah, I was about to punch you!"

Catra froze at the mention of a second chance. Adora caught her breath.

"You've been a bad friend, but I know this is only because Shadow Weaver made you that way. But she's gone. I got rid of her."

"You what?"

"It's safe to come home now, Catra. Who cares about those new friends? You and I together at the end of the world, remember? You just have to surrender to me, and I promise everything will be okay."

And once again, Catra was on a crossroads. Would she abandon Bow and Glimmer to stay with Adora once again? Or would she stick with the Rebellion and fight a losing battle, a losing war?

"Look around, we've won! Catra, surrender now. And we can fix this. Fix  _ you _ ." And look around Catra did, and the results weren't pretty: Spinerella was knocked out of the sky by Vultak. Angella was knocked unconscious, and the darkness was seeping in. Glimmer was fighting a hopeless fight against Scorpia, and Leech had gotten to Perfuma, while Netossa was distracted by Octavia.

Catra took a knee to Adora. Adora in turn turned back to her 5'6 form, taking a knee herself to hug Catra.

But would she give in to a person who saw her as something to be fixed? And abandon her friends, who were the first to truly treat her like equals?

She would rather die than betray her friends to be another person's sidekick again.

So she shoved Adora away, then took the Sword before running away. She heard Adora yell after her, but she couldn't care less. She had friends to save.

Glimmer tried her hardest to fight, but the glitch was acting up. Or was it? This time, instead of pain, she felt as if she was cleansed. The tainted power of the Black Garnet was focused by her father's staff, and she used it to blast Scorpia away! 

Glimmer thought of it as her father's blessing.

Swift Wind flew to Glimmer's side and she saved her mother from the bot that threatened to kill her. That was when she saw a glowing figure run towards the princesses. But she had a swishing tail. It was Catra! Suddenly the battle didn't seem so hopeless.  


The battle was not as over as Adora thought it would be. Once Catra entered the battle as She-Ra, the Force Captains were powerless against her might, Vultak just straight up fleeing into the sky. But Adora was persistent. If she couldn't take Bright Moon, she would at least take out its runestone. So she took control of one of the energy cannons, and took aim. It was a bullseye, and the Princesses watched in horror as the spire collapsed.

But it never did. A bolt of Frost supplemented the crumbling pillar, supporting the Moonstone's weight. Frosta has arrived. And with all the princesses in one place, Catra felt a correcting power course through the princesses to her. With one proud gesture, She-Ra generated a rainbow wave that swept away all the Horde forces, and back at the Fright Zone, would disable Entrapta's contraption. The planet was back to normal, and when the sunlight shined on them once again, Catra saw that the gem was perfectly mended. The Sword had finally made up its mind.

But it was bittersweet for Catra. Scorpia and Adora glanced a look at her as they rode the skiff back to the Fright Zone, and the emotion in Adora's eyes were hurt, hateful, afraid… but not conflicted. She had made up her mind.

"Catra, it's finally over! Bright Moon is saved!"

"-And the Princesses are united!"

The Princess Alliance save the Best Friend Squad was busy engaging in chatter. "And that is how it is done in the sea!" Sea Hawk emerged next to her. "Really good job."

"Good job, girls! Onto the next." Netossa, as she hugged her significant other.

"Yeah! We did things together!" Frosta, showing a side of her she had not shown to anyone in a long time. "Isn't this wonderful?" Perfuma, putting her hands together in the most delighted fashion.

The queen descended to join them, finding Glimmer and embracing her in a hug. Then she noticed Catra and urged her to join in as well. Not that she had any choice, since Bow pushed her towards her. Catra grumbled, but everyone could see the tears of joy as she turned back to her magicat self. 

  
  
  


Adora ascended the stairs leading to Hordak's throne, alone. It wad her fault for trusting Catra and her responsibility to face her failures. 

"Force Captain, it seems your experiment has failed."

A clank. Entrapta. "Quite the contrary! The experiment was a huge success!" 

"Entrapta, you're not supposed to be here!"

"Let her speak." Hordak commanded. Adora shut up and bowed in acknowledgement.

"I know more about First Ones tech than ever. This is just the beginning."

"And we have acquired various strategic points we did not previously have access to due to the Whispering Woods. As well as the Whispering Woods still being in ruins. Etheria is yours for the taking."

Hordak stood up. "Very well, Force Captain Adora. You will have other chances to prove yourself to me… as my second in command."

Adora bowed, excited by the recent development. She would prove herself to Hordak and crush the rebellion under her feet. But she felt like the Horde had many problems to fix first. Problems she intended to correct...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aight. I tried to make the Force Captains as not OC-ey as possible, so I added them from 1985 She-Ra's canon. I tried to make their personality   
> Grizzlor: Tries to act tough but is not.  
> Leech: Snarky  
> Vultak: Wordy  
> Mantenna: Sycophantic and backhanded.
> 
> S2 and S3 will feature Catra's self worth being tied into She-Ra since that's the reason she became wanted by someone other than Adora for the first time. It will also feature Adora's descent into a hurt girl who wants to protect her friends, to a paranoid manipulator with the gentle guiding hand of Shadow Weaver. So stay tuned! Or not. I write this cuz I cannot find the Catra is She-Ra fanfic I want. 'This is my Kingdom Come' is much better than my fic but I want evil Adora. And 'Cat-Ra' is also better but it's too slow in uploading and I didn't like some of the choices it made with the plot. The others are nice too, but it's really not for me, you know?
> 
> Anyways, this was my rant about how I cannot find the incredibly specific fic I want. Stay tuned for S2 and S3!


	15. S2Ep1. The Frozen Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra plays nice.
> 
> Adora visits someone she outgrew.
> 
> Frosta makes a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back after quite a hiatus, I was doing other stuff like chipped adora. I wanted to get back to this, but like copying every line was a bit tedious, even though I love She-Ra. So anyways that was my reason for this being too late. I mean, not a lot of people like this, but I like it so yea. Hope you enjoy.

Though the initial assault on Bright Moon was over, the war was far from it; Horde bots with augmented weaponry continued their relentless attack against the frozen and battered forest. And the Princess Alliance was on it, as always. 

Perfuma bound robots trying to stamp out the life of a sprout, throwing them into the sky with one powerful gesture. Those robots were thrown right at Bow, albeit unintentionally, and he barely had time to dodge. “Incoming!” Bow screamed as he jumped away.

Frosta registered the warning a little too late. She had the same reaction time as Bow, but flimsier, shorter legs. She would have been crushed under the metal if not for-

“Got it!” With a torrent of water, the war machine was slammed to the ground, where an arrow finished it off. Perfuma, done taking care of the wave of bots, gracefully landed with vines accommodating her. “Sorry, Frosta!”

“Wow, flower princesses can’t aim.” Mermista smirked. This hit a very personal insecurity of Perfuma accidentally hurting her friends with her powers, which led to Perfuma being angry. At Mermista for invoking that insecurity and herself for almost hurting her friend.

“I’m working on it!” Was the best she could express her feelings, however.

Meanwhile, a bot creeped up on the Princesses, and Bow and Perfuma were about to be vaporized when Glimmer saved the day, teleporting the bot into sky high altitudes, letting gravity do the dirty work.

“Thanks for dropping in.” Glimmer was especially proud of this one. She worked on it ever since she realized she could drop bots from lethal heights to irreparably damage them. 

She was being plagued by a fangirl as of late, however. 

“HAHAHAHAHAH, dropping in! Cuz you dropped him from the sky! Good one.” Frosta was laughing in an almost hysteric manner, which caused some doubts on Glimmer’s doubts that Frosta was laughing only to appease her. 

Either way, she didn’t like it. 

  
  
  
  


Catra was training in the castle, and she was getting good at controlling her weapon. 

A shield to put a shield shaped dent in the robots. A staff to smash them to bits. A comically giant mace to absolutely wreck them. 

A mug to… A mug? Maybe she wasn’t as good at controlling it as she thought. Meanwhile, the mug would have to do. She was adept with claws, after all. Wielding a short ranged weapon was her forte.

“Oh, you can turn your sword into things. That’s interesting.” Adora’s voice. This was going to be the hard part. Adora with the staff and the stun baton. Adora wasn’t as fast as Catra was, but She-Ra really slowed her down, and most important of all, Adora’s movements were different. Had more of an intent to it. 

Adora dodged and weaved, casually deflecting her blows with her staff. Catra remembered Adora was well acquainted with Catra's short range weapons- she and Adora sparred often, after all. So Catra changed her mug into something with a bit more range- a flute?

“Did you mean to do that? I hope not.”

While Catra’s guard was down, Adora jabbed her with the staff, knocking her down. Catra decided she needed to do something Adora  _ wouldn’t  _ expect, something that was more… Adora than Catra. So she charged her, finally catching Adora off guard.

  
  
  


Meanwhile, Glimmer teleported her magic imbued staff to take care of one scout bot when Frosta, ever persistent, popped up again, surprising Glimmer. 

“How’d you do that? Can you teleport anything you want? Like a cannon? I can make  _ ice cannonballs _ !”

Glimmer doubted the effectiveness of ice cannonballs or teleporting a cannon at all  _ if  _ it was possible, but that wasn’t the problem. The fact that Frosta was being clingy was.

“What? No! Just the staff. It was my dad’s… ugh.”

Glimmer took a breath to calm down.

“Actually, I was sorta in the middle of something here, do you mind?”

Then she channeled her power into a blast of light, when Frosta decided to take the first move, raising a giant ice spike to impale the walker in the CPU.

“It’s more effective if you hit their core processing unit.”

This was common knowledge, of course, thanks to Bow. However, Frosta wanted to show off anything to her respected Glimmer. It didn’t work, though.

“Ugh! I know, I was about to-”

“Hey, there’s another one! Let’s get it.”

Frosta was absolutely confident in her abilities. She was almost 12, and that was practically 12, and 12 was almost 13, which meant she was a teenager. 

  
  
  


Adora was caught off guard, and pinned by She-Ra, there was no escape. 

“Huh. I didn’t expect that.”

Catra raised the Flute of Protection.

“Well, what are you waiting for?”

Catra swung it as hard as she could… then stopped.

“I knew you didn’t have it in you.”

The nonchalant not-Adora faded away, as did the simulation of the training ground itself. 

“Ugh! This is stupid! She doesn’t act like that.”

“Nonsense. The simulation is designed for total accuracy. She does, in fact, act like that.”

Catra rolled her eyes, but Light Hope was correct. Adora would do anything to get into her skin, and this was just a fraction of what she could do, though she would never tell Light Hope about the specifics of the dynamics between her, Adora, and Shadow Weaver. 

If she even knew herself.

“I’ve been training for a month and I haven’t gotten any better!” Catra shouted, clawing the hologram in frustration. 

“This latest performance was, in fact, worse.” Light Hope casually said.

“Ugh! Don’t you think I know already?”

“Please disregard. My magicat inspiration protocol is in the beta stage. Should I smile more?” 

Light Hope then smiled an awkward grin, spooking Catra out. 

“No. Just don’t. Look, It’s just… I finally have people that expect something of me, and I can’t let them down. But Adora, she just… argh!”

“Does Adora frustrate you?” Light Hope raised her nonexistent eyebrow.

“Yeah, wasn’t that kind of obvious? She grew up with me, of course she can frustrate me.”

“I cannot relate to being frustrated with Adora, but I am proud of you nonetheless. There is still a long way to go, but you have come far. You must master your impulses, or you will be destined to repeat the mistakes of the last She-Ra.”

“No pressure, huh?” Catra looked away, scratching the back of her head.

“There is quite a bit of pressure. Was it not clear?”

Catra rolled her eyes and walked away.

  
  


Bow was sure something had changed. Horde technology was advancing at an unprecedented rate, and though the Princesses had no problem dealing with them, the ordinary soldier of the Rebellion had. So Bow examined a relatively intact Horde bot for reverse engineering- it was more taking it apart then looking what the changes were, since Bow was technically adept but not  _ that  _ adept- when Frosta decided to smash it.

  
  
  


Meanwhile at the Fright Zone, Adora looked at her squad doing the routine simulations. Lonnie and Rogelio were barely dodging the beams from the bots, which stood for the Princesses and their elemental attacks. Kyle wasn’t doing much better, either. Actually, he was doing quite worse as he couldn’t even dodge the attacks, being shocked by the bot’s nonlethal beam.

The bots powered down.

“Kyle! You have to at least get through the other Princesses! I haven’t even turned on She-Ra yet!” Adora walked into view, her staff in hand.

“But Adora, we’re not supposed to deal with She-Ra, you are-” Kyle was just repeating what Adora told them, but it didn’t stop him from getting a stare from Lonnie and Rogelio.

“And what if I get incapacitated, killed? She-Ra may be slower than Catra, but she’s still Catra. There’s no running away.”

“Adora, you sure you have to deal with Catra alone? We got your back...” Lonnie gently suggested, Rogelio grunting in agreement.

“It’s between me and her- Catra was a problem I let foster for too long.” Adora pinched her brows.

“Look, I’ve been with the Princesses briefly. They’ll let you live. But Catra? She was perfectly willing to kill me during the Battle of Bright Moon. And she’ll kill you even if you surrender, if it means the Princesses won’t know how treacherous she is.”

the Horde Squad just nodded silently. Adora’s rage was evident- a far cry from the Adora a month ago, who wanted Catra back more than anyone else. 

“Adora, Catra may have been your friends, but we are, too. You don’t have to deal with Catra alone!” Kyle appealed to Adora. 

“You too, Kyle? That means I’m outnumbered three to one...” Adora sighed, grinning. She was glad that she had real friends she could count on, and she knew Shadow Weaver was wrong when she said her friends only loved her for her usefulness.

“All right then, we’ll take on She-Ra. Together. But I gotta meet Scorpia and Entrapta first for some business, so see you guys a bit later! Until then, work on your form or something!” Then Adora left. 

A couple of soldiers saluted her. Adora just walked by. Though, she had to admit being a Force Captain was even better than she expected. But all musings aside, she didn’t have time for distractions. Adora entered Entrapta’s room to see some results. What she saw was things she didn’t quite know about. Like a bot, but instead of obliterating enemies, it sucked up dust on the floor. Adora would learn later that it was called a roomba.

“What is all this?” Adora asked. Entrapta was happy to oblige, of course. After a good few minutes later, Entrapta’s communicator beeped, which Adora used as an excuse to change the subject. 

“Say, is that message from the Whispering Woods?”

“I think it is!” The Super Pal Trio grabbed the tiny foodstuff, and sat on the couch, watching the fate of the bots. And it was gruesome, to say the least. Most were impaled, or ripped apart by vines. Some lucky ones were swept away and decommissioned via an impact.

“Oh boy!” Scorpia exclaimed.

“Ouch. It really fell apart with one hit there.” Entrapta said worriedly, noting it for future reference. “I could really make some improvements.”

“Oh, yeah, game over!” Scorpia forgot which side she was on.

“Uh, Scorpia, it’s our bots they destroyed.” Adora gently reminded her.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry!” Scorpia apologized, and Adora just shook it off with a hand wave. 

“But anyways, we can send more bots, right? We need to carve out an invasion path before the woods defrost. While conquering more territory, so they’ll have to give up something.”

Entrapta pulled out a data crystal. “I have a better idea.”

  
  
  


With a sigh, Catra resurfaced from the Crystal Castle, where she was greeted by an equally gloomy cat. “Your ride arrived, and waited for like an hour. Punctual, much?”

“I missed you too, Swift Wind.”

The ride back to Bright Moon was the same as ever, but the damage done to Bright Moon always struck something in Catra’s heart. Maybe in a proper world, where Adora got her sword, this wouldn’t have happened. Maybe in that world, where she was the villain, she would have been vanquished already, or she wouldn’t have been the villain at all, since she didn’t think Adora would leave her behind.

“You should have seen it! With the Moonstone supercharged, I’ve been so much more powerful! I took out at least like five bots!” Glimmer was hyped. Catra wasn’t. The bots may have been destroyed, but the Princess Alliance was tied up in protecting the woods. And she had no idea what Adora was doing, whether it was buying time for another invasion, an attempt at paving a path to the woods, or a distraction while the Horde conquered territories they were not in contact with.

Apparently, Bow agreed. “Just like the day before, or the day before that.”

“So? What are we supposed to do? Not fight? We have to protect the woods. The Horde is going to keep gaining new ground until it regrows.” Glimmer retorted.

“No, Bow has a point. We don’t know what Adora’s up to while she has us fight the bots.”

“So, Catra, you learn anything from Light Hope?” Bow asked, hoping that she would have something that would help make things more favorable for the Rebellion. 

“All she taught me for the last month is how to change this stupid Sword, and even it isn’t working properly.” Then she tried to change the Sword to a gauntlet. What came out was a pitcher. “I wanted a gauntlet.”

A moment of silence passed, after which Frosta popped up from seemingly nowhere. Glimmer recoiled in surprise. 

“We should turn it into a dagger. Right, Glimmer? Did you see me take out that bot with ice daggers?”

“Where did you come from?” Glimmer asked.

“I’ve been here the whole time.”

Glimmer shot an accusatory look at Catra, to which she replied “What? I thought it would be funny.”

“Well, we gotta go. We have an important meeting.”

“The War Council? I’m heading there, too! You better hurry,” Frosta mock-whispered, “you’re gonna be late.”

Glimmer’s eye twitched. Catra was struggling to hold her laughter. Bow somehow thought Glimmer took it well, and asked ”Do we have a new addition to the Best Friend Squad?”

“Shut up. Ugh.”

The War Council was a mess. Perfuma and Mermista were bickering about seats in the council. The seat placement held no political significance whatsoever; Perfuma just liked the seat, and so did Mermista. Angella was being passive-aggressive to Castaspella, who was only absent during the Battle of Bright Moon due to a summoning gone wrong. 

“Swift Wind. What news do you bring from the west?” Angella asked, getting things started. “The Horde gained new territory in the west, but with Spinerella and Netossa’s help, we re-re-re-captured Thaymor. Again. Also, I want a chair. Everyone knows a cat needs his chair.”

“A chair. Of course. I will see to it. Commander Glimmer, how goes the situation in the Whispering Woods?”

Glimmer stood up to answer, borderline ecstatic that her mom took her seriously. 

“I’m happy to report that we are handling the bots, and protecting the woods while it regrows. Which it is doing. Very slowly.”

“Maybe it’s time that we stop fighting and start healing,” Perfuma suggested. “My powers aren’t strong enough to regrow the entire Woods on my own, but when we Princesses worked together in harmony during the Battle of Bright Moon, our powers grew! We should try to recapture that energy.”

This was met with general indifference from the Princesses, save for Glimmer. She visibly hated it.

“If I may, your majesty, we can’t go on like this. We’re defeating the bots, but more keep coming. While we’re using our resources to hold the borders, the Horde hasn’t had to deploy a single soldier.”

‘Typical Adora,’ Catra thought. She didn’t bother saying it out loud though. 

“I’ve only been able to recover pieces, seeing as we have never not completely demolished one of these things.” Bow looked at Frosta, implicitly guilt tripping her.   
  


“But if we capture a whole bot, I might be able to design a kill switch. We could wipe them all out without draining our forces.”

“An excellent idea, Bow. This could turn the tide for us. Glimmer, you will take your patrol out and capture a bot for Bow to study and carry out his plan.”

Glimmer sternly nodded, and got to work when-

“Commander, I have some ideas to improve our efficiency. First, we should all have codenames. I could be frostbite, and you could be sparklebomb. Second-”

Catra was on the verge of dying from laughter. She didn’t make Frosta come up with the codename stuff- that was too much, even for her- but Glimmer’s codename, she came up with.

“Oh, uh, Frosta? I need you to stay back and, uh, help Spinerella and Netossa guard the castle. Great, thanks!”

  
  
  


In the Fright Zone, Adora was giving a report to Hordak with Scorpia. She would have preferred to have her entire squad with her, but Hordak was volatile, she learned. Going alone was too dangerous, and taking too many people with her was too.

“With the woods frozen, and the Princesses preoccupied with, uh, bots, we’ve been able to gain significant land.”

“You have not disappointed me, Force Captain. That witch was not wrong with you.”

Adora was happy, fulfilling the mission she’s been trained for. Even though she knew it wasn’t as righteous as she thought it would be, she knew it would be okay as long as she had her friends by her side.

Her thoughts were distracted by rustling. Entrapta, behind Hordak’s back, was ‘borrowing’ Hordak’s stuff. Hordak didn’t pay much attention to it. As long as she produced results, she would be unharmed. But he did pay attention to how Adora became very skittish.

“Uh, yes! We, uh, we are  _ distracting  _ the Princesses, yes. But perhaps we could do more?”

Hordak wasn’t particularly happy with her sentence. But not because he caught on to Adora’s flimsy attempt at distraction, but because she dared use ‘we’, as if they were equals. But Adora was useful, and that was enough for now.

“Anyways, Entrapta, the bot?” Adora carefully asked.

“Oh, yeah.” Entrapta ‘clapped’ with her hair, and a giant bot, its design not like the standard ones, came out.

“May I introduce, ‘Emily’s Kid Sister’! EKS for short. With First Ones tech at its core, this little beauty has enough power to rival a Princess.”

Then Entrapta fired a stun baton she ‘borrowed’ from Hordak, and put a hole in one of its legs. Adora hid her surprise, for she knew reacting to this would have bad results for either her or Entrapta. To her surprise, but a pleasant one, the bot regrew its damaged part.

“Impressive. And you can make more of these?” Hordak inquired.

“Yes! I mean, no. I mean, I could. But I only had enough First Ones tech to make four.”

“Uh, excuse me, Hordak, sir? I know where we can get more.”

  
  
  


The Princess Alliance was in the Whispering Woods, Commander Glimmer giving the orders. “We’ll split up to cover the most ground. Catra, Bow and I will go east. Mermista and Perfuma, you go west. Swift Wind, cover the sky and tell us when there’s a bot nearby.” Catra had some ideas, like not pairing Mermista and Perfuma, who absolutely would not be able to work together, but she stayed quiet because she learned the hard way that Glimmer does not like her authority questioned. Wanted to be respected as commander, to be exact.

“And remember, we want the bot  _ intact. _ ” Bow specified.

“What if it’s like a little waterlogged?” Mermista. Acceptable, as the new engineer was probably smart enough to make the bot a little resilient.

“And also covered in ferns that secrete corrosive acid?” Perfuma. Okay, as long as no important parts were corroded away.

“Or what if it’s totally smashed by my ice hammer?” Frosta. Absolutely not… Frosta?

“Frosta!” Glimmer gritted her teeth, showing incredible self restraint in not saying things she absolutely wanted to say. “You’re not supposed to be here. You’re supposed to guard the castle with Netossa and Spinerella.”

“I know I ignored your orders, but no offense, those orders were wrong. You need me here!” Catra thought the last two incidents involving Frosta and Glimmer were funny. She could tell this was not going to be.

“You can’t just run off whenever you want.”

Catra and Bow looked at each other worriedly. But Frosta, who should be worried, wasn’t at all.

“But I did! And I’m here now. And I’m not going back.” Frosta said smugly, incurring Glimmer’s anger even more.

“Fine. You can be in Mermista and Perfuma’s patrol.”

“I’m going with you-” “Don’t push your luck.”

And so the Best Friend Squad was searching for a bot they could capture and study, when they encountered a peculiar find. A tripod bot, bigger than usual. Catra sprung into action, clawing one of its legs off.

“It was just a bot, huh.” Catra curtly remarked. She was wrong, as the EKS simply reattached its severed appendage to its joint, where it was regrown. 

“Honestly, I don’t know why I expected anything less.” Swift Wind snarked. The others were in no position to, as they had no wings to run from the situation with.

The EKS, its algorithm deciding that it was time to alert its sisters, sounded an alarm, to which the faithful siblings responded. Now they were surrounded as well as generally outmatched. 

Then a certain icy tyke decided to intervene. Frosta, jumping out of seemingly nowhere, Catra thought this was not a testament to her stealth skills but rather her size at this point, hopped on and started mashing its head with ice gauntlets.

“Frosta! Do you even listen when people tell you things?”

She did not, of course. If she did, she would have been usurped by her regent a year ago. Fortunately, she wasn’t, and the regent found new rewarding work in labor camps.

“What?” Frosta responded, too occupied with smashing to really listen to her commander. 

“Get away from the bot!” This time, Glimmer was considerate enough to gesture to Frosta.

“It’s the  _ bot  _ you should be worried about!” Frosta was awfully confident, considering she was absolutely  _ wrong.  _ She was promptly picked up and thrown off a cliff, the EKS not even considering her a threat but a rather robust woodpecker. Glimmer teleported after her, barely catching her.

Bow, Catra, and Swift Wind took a stand, afraid but determined. The EKS, for some reason, decided to leave them after taking a brief scan. What this meant, they did not know.

Frosta and Glimmer crash landed in a convenient location near the other two Princesses.

“There you are. We were looking everywhere for you!” Perfuma was obviously referring to Frosta.

“Yeah, everywhere.” Even Mermista showed concern.

“That was incredibly stupid! You could have gotten hurt, or gotten one of us hurt!” Glimmer’s heart was in the right place. She was just worried for Frosta, who she thought was not capable enough for such a task.

Ironic, considering that Queen Angella thought the same thing about Glimmer a while ago.

“I was just trying to help!” Frosta shouted. She didn’t like how Glimmer was belittling her, how Glimmer thought she wasn’t taking this seriously when in her own way, she was doing her best.

“This is serious, not a game. You need to  _ stop getting in our way _ .” That was a bit harsh, and Glimmer realized it a moment too late. Frosta’s expression rapidly shifted, from disbelief, rage, then settling on chagrin. She ran off crying. 

“Frosta, wait!” Glimmer would have to be the one who needed to wait, if she were to make amends. 

“The Horde’s new bots are too smart, and too fast! We’ll never be able to catch one! I thought I could help, and be the Rebellion’s tech master, but that was obviously a dumb idea.”

Catra was watching from the sidelines, and she knew things were getting serious, too heated. She would have to be the Bow, since Bow was obviously in distress. 

“Arrow Boy, you’re literally the only one who came up with a plan. Sure, I knew the problem too, but I couldn’t do anything about it. And neither could these losers… alone.” Catra couldn’t believe she was saying this. “We need to come up with a plan, together.”

Bow was obviously excited. Catra? Encouraging teamwork? She was certainly a far cry from the selfish, abrasive, snarky Catra he first knew her as. Though she was still snarky. Bow was okay with that.

“All right, so what do we know?” Catra asked. 

“Those bots weren’t interested in the woods. And they only defended themselves long enough to get away.” Bow remarked.

“Well, that means attacking us wasn’t their mission.” Mermista deduced.

“And they all ran off in the same direction.” Swift Wind added.

“So whatever they’re after is that way!” Perfuma finished.

“But there’s nothing there… except the Beacon. I think I know how to stop them. Frosta, you think you can- oh, right. Glimmer,” Catra was hitching a plan, and ice was absolutely necessary.

“I’ll go find her.” A dejected Glimmer walked away, searching for her.

Frosta was sulking on a huge boulder. Frosta had gotten up there just before Glimmer arrived, since climbing a rock of that size was hard. But not as hard as being yelled at by the one person she looked up to.

“Come to yell at me some more? I just wanted to be your friend.”

“By ignoring us and throwing yourself into danger?”

“Sorry I don’t know how to act! I never had any friends before!” Frosta was a tougher person than most people thought. She had to fight off schemes, sycophants and external enemies who seeked to take advantage of the youthful leadership. To Frosta, Glimmer was the only one she could be a kid around, the only one she trusted enough to be herself around.

“I was 8 when I took over the throne. Hard to make friends when everyone is your sworn subject.” ‘And too easy to make enemies,’ Frosta wanted to say.

“I know how you feel,” Glimmer empathized, “I didn’t have any friends before Bow and Catra.”

“You? Figured everyone would want to be your friend.”

Glimmer scoffed, at herself. “Yeah? Definitely not everyone.” Then she faced Frosta.

“And I’m still learning how to be a good friend, too.”

“I’m sorry I yelled. I guess you remind me of-  _ me _ . And I can do some really dangerous stuff sometimes.”

“I remind you of  _ you _ ?” Frosta took this as a compliment. Glimmer nodded, smiling.

“Ugh. I even sounded like my mom when I yelled at you. Please don’t make me do that again.” 

“Deal.” Frosta extended her arm, before timidly retracting it. “Does that mean we’re friends?”

“Yes. And we- I- can really use your help.”

“You want me to come back? I knew we’d make a great team! So, should I do ice hammers? Or ice daggers? You’re right,  _ one of each! _ ”

Glimmer looked the other direction, but she was smiling nonetheless.

  
  
  


In the Fright Zone, the super pal trio got their snacks ready. 

“That place has enough First Ones tech to power a whole army of robots, forever!” Adora hyped Entrapta up.

“Hahhh, I WANT THAT!” Entrapta exclaimed.

The robots’ relentless march was stopped, however, now a relentless slide. 

“ICE of you to drop in!” Frosta tried to impress Glimmer with her one-liner, as if the display of power and skill hadn’t already.

The EKSes were adaptable, however. They used their talons to smash the ice, planting themselves by the foot to gain a hold. One EKS was killed in this valiant action, by them being filled with water while vines held them down. 

“One EKS down, but three to go!” Entrapta yelled. 

Adora couldn’t get the excitement- the only things she felt were anxiety and dread.

Another was held down while Glimmer, using her staff, smashed the CPU beyond repair. 

Adora clenched her right fist, making sure it was unseen.

“I can’t look! Tell me what’s happening. No, don’t.”

Catra tried to transform her Sword into a chain-whip. What came out was rope.

“Argh! Why can’t you just be what I want you to be?” But Catra was resourceful, and the rope was versatile. Catra used the rope to tie the tripod down, making sure she was visible on the camera.

“Hey, Adora.”

The camera feed cut out, and Adora was enraged. This mission was a bust, but there were plenty of things that could go even more wrong. So she walked up to the control panel, and pressed the self-destruct button on the tied up EKS.

“Do you have to?” Entrapta asked. 

“Sorry, Entrapta. If they capture one intact, they might reverse-engineer it. I know how hard you worked on it. Sorry.” Adora then walked away from the room.

“And Scorpia? If they manage to capture the other robot, blow it up too.”

“But what about the snacks?”

“I’ll eat them later!”

Meanwhile, Catra was reeling from this blow, the bot’s spiteful death-rattle.

“Ugh, what happened?” Catra grabbed her head, checking for brain damage.

“It looks like the bots can self-destruct.” Bow informed.

  
  
  


In the Fright Zone, Scorpia was about to press the other self-destruct button, when Entrapta looked at her with puppy-dog eyes. “Scorpia, do you have to blow her up?”

“Sorry, Entrapta, but Adora-”

“But Emily will be sad!”

After some deliberation, Scorpia decided that Adora didn’t have to know. If anything, she could just say that the self destruct button was not functional, not compatible with scorpion claws. 

  
  
  


The Princesses and Bow were celebrating, when they realized that the Elemental Princesses were glowing with a light not unlike the one at Bright Moon. The Woods were regrowing rapidly, probably due to the harmony reached between the Princesses. That meant the Woods would soon regain the ability to defend itself, which meant the Princess Alliance didn’t have their hands tied up anymore.

“All right, I’m not doing all that friendship junk anymore. Bow, it’s your job, not mine.” Catra said, mock-disgust filling her voice.

“Oh, I knew you liked it, Catra! Come on, a hug?”

“What? Shut up! Get away!” And reluctantly, she embraced her friends as an 8 foot tall mythical warrior.

  
  
  


Adora visited a special prisoner, Shadow Weaver. 

“You look bad today, Shadow Weaver.”

“Adora. I assume you have finally reached the right conclusion? That you need me?”

“No, my friends got me covered. But I do have some questions for you...”

  
  
  


Bow was examining the captured EKS, talking into a recorder. 

“Uh, okay, I’m talking into this recorder cuz that’s what the best scientist I knew did. I’m not sure who I’m talking to. Me, I guess.” A beat.

“... So hi, Future Bow! We’re about to open this thing.”

And when he did, he found a First Ones’ data crystal.

“First Ones tech?... but the only one who knew how to use that was- Hold on to your hat, Future Bow. Entrapta’s alive! … and we left her behind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a couple of questions for ya. 
> 
> 1\. Should I make some episodes entirely different from canon if the central conflict does not fit Catra? Should I deviate a bit? A little? A lot?
> 
> 2\. Should I stop transcribing She-Ra line by line, rather only describing the gist of it?
> 
> Pls answer in comments, and I might show you a chipped Adora fanfic snippet that I haven't released yet.


	16. S2Ep2. Ties That Bind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra repairs the Watchtower.
> 
> Adora outwits the rebels.
> 
> Shadow Weaver concocts a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello yall, I'm back! I have like a pretty concrete plan made for S2 and S3, though S4 I'm not really sure about. Anyways enjoy!

“The city’s forces left, leaving Dryl to us. Scorpia, Dryl and its First Ones cache will be very valuable for us. And Entrapta won’t be as homesick.”

“Yeah, that’s good and all but-”

“You’re lost again, aren’t you?”

Scorpia nodded confidently. Adora, without saying anything, pressed her Force Captain badge. “Here. It takes up quite a lot of battery so tell me to turn it off when it’s done.”

Unbeknownst to Adora, some remnants of the Dryl militia were en route to report to Bright Moon about recent developments…

  
  
  


Catra charged the EKS-lookalike, which was actually a hard-light construct made by Light Hope for training. At this point very confident in her ability to control the Sword, she jumped, transformed her Sword into a pogo stick, and bounced up- then turned it back to a magical jackhammer she saw at the Fright Zone once, completely obliterating the robot with one swift motion.

The simulation was over, and Catra was very confident in her performance. Light Hope, however, didn’t seem so.

“Your methods were… unorthodox.”

“But they worked.”

“Yes, I suppose it’s fair. However, your performance would be 57% more effective had you-”

“I’m not teaming up with that snarky cat any more than I have to.”

Light Hope paused.

“What? You think it’s funny that I’m calling that cat snarky?” Light Hope was still unmoving.

“Hello, Light Hope? Blue Razz? Glorified cleaning machine of the Crystal Castle?”

Oof. That last one was a little mean. She just hoped Light Hope didn’t listen to that.

“I think she’s glitching.” A head popped through Light Hope, a familiar one. Swift Wind.

“Where did you come from?” Catra asked, more out of displeasure than curiosity.

“I was here the whole time. If y-” 

Light Hope’s projection violently spasmed, violently scaring Catra and Swift Wind. 

“-teamed up with Swift Wind.” Then Light Hope noticed Catra, with all her fur on end. Also Swift Wind, who was uncharacteristically cowering before returning to his usual aloof self.

“I-is something wrong?”

“Yeah, of course something’s wrong! You froze then glitched!”

“Forgive me. My system is overloading. I may have to delay training today so I can rest.”

“That’s great, see you tomorrow.” Catra started to walk away.

Light Hope froze again, the doors around her closing and opening rapidly with no discernible pattern. After a few minutes of sheer terror involving structural integrity, Light Hope unpaused again.

“You know what? We want to help you.” Catra meekly said.

“Why? Was it something I said?”

  
  
  


Bow reported to his friend Glimmer about the news of the exaggerated reports of Entrapta’s death. 

“What do you mean, Entrapta’s alive?” Glimmer asked, anguish and guilt filling her voice.

“I couldn’t find out how the Horde was making such big technological advances! But it all makes sense now. They must be holding Entrapta captive.” Bow said, pulling out a piece of First Ones tech from the debris. 

“This was what she was working with before she-”

“Before  _ we  _ left her. In the Fright Zone.”

“We didn’t know.” Bow tried to ease Glimmer’s guilt.

“It doesn’t matter. We should have gone back for her, we should have at least tried! She got captured trying to save us!”

“Well, she’s not staying there any longer. We have to save her.”

“But how? We barely got out last time, and that was with…  _ her  _ help. And we still left Entrapta behind.”

“We might not have to go that far, Bow. Look.” Glimmer turned on the holographic war table and pointed to Dryl, which now brandished the emblem of the Horde.

“The Horde took Dryl?... they must have done that so Entrapta can work in her own lab!” 

“We’re going to the Crypto Castle, we’ll find Entrapta, and we’ll get her back.”

As the Best Friend Squad minus Catra left the War Room, Bow still had doubts about storming Dryl, the two of them.

“Glimmer, you sure this is a good idea? What about Catra?”

“Training with Light Hope.”

“Mermista?”

“Fighting back an invasion in Seaworthy with Frosta.”

“Perfuma?”

“Meditating… that’s not the point! Bow, they didn’t get captured by the Horde, we did. And thanks to our mistakes, Entrapta became a captive.”

Bow knew this wasn’t going to end well unless a miracle was achieved. But Glimmer was dead set on this, and Bow knew he wasn’t going to be able to stop Glimmer. Worst case, she would go alone, get captured, and without all the Princesses around to restore equilibrium, the Horde would be free to jack up the Black Garnet and take Bright Moon again.

He secretly left a message in the War Room under the guise of needing to empty his bladders, then caught up to Glimmer.

“Glimmer, I trust you and I’m coming with you, but we’ll have to be careful okay? They won’t be exactly letting Entrapta run free.”

Adora was planning to, but this fact was irrelevant as Entrapta was not in Dryl at all.

Dryl was bustling, except not as a city but an outpost. Horde soldiers were everywhere outside, making it hard to get in had it not for Glimmer’s teleportation abilities. The inside was relatively empty, however. 

“Any sign of Entrapta in the castle?” Bow asked. “Nothing. And as usual, that place is impossible to navigate.”

“There must be some way to find her!” Bow whisper-shouted. That was when Adora came, scratching her back with a turned off stun baton with one hand, a communication pad on the other.

On the other side of the communication pad, Kyle and Entrapta were struggling to contain a robot who didn’t quite come to terms with the fact that it was made for killing yet. 

“Hello? HELLO? Please tell me we’re on the way back! I need backup! Entrapta’s new invention has  _ lost it _ !”

“Bot number 420 seems to be having some kind of existential crisis, created by accidental internal combustion of certain flora. Down boy, down!”

Then Entrapta screamed very loudly, so loud that it could be heard in the west wing where the cadets were. 

Adora pinched her brows. “Kyle, I’ll call Lonnie and Rogelio. Meanwhile, please-”

“Stop it! Please! Why are you doing this to me?”

This created some very unfortunate implications, as a graphic and disturbing image was painted in Bow and Glimmer’s heads.

“Entrapta! She’s really alive!”

“And they’re hurting her.” Without Bow could say anything, Glimmer teleported in front of Adora, rushing her.

“Where is she?”

“Wha?” Adora, not possessing reflexes as fast as Catra’s, and generally unsuited to dealing with unexpected situations, was overwhelmed and teleported away in seconds, just as Scorpia noticed her.

Now they were on the edge of Dryl and the Whispering Woods, with a captive but not a plan.

  
  
  


“Anyways, the tale of the Scorpion and the Frog is a great story of how we can’t-”

“Can you shut up?”

“Just food for thought. I thought you were the cynical type too?”

“Let’s just… fix the watchtower and be done with it.”

Some minutes of searching later, Catra was frustrated. Catra’s allergy to pollen in a field full of grass didn’t help either.

“Gah! There’s only stupid grass and stupid flowers here!”

“Ouch. Flower Princess is going to be hurt. And, my animal instincts tell me that there is something here. Something ancient and magical.”

A pause.

“Look, we don’t really fit together, but maybe we can, I don’t know, increase our bond or something, and my intuitive powers will be stronger? Then we can pretend to have made up, and never bother each other again.”

“Yeah, no.”

“Okay then, I hope you know that I am attuned to your emotions, not by choice, but by the fact you blasted me with that rainbow beam. Which means I can poke at whatever’s causing you distress.” Swift Wind closed his eyes for a second. Then opened them again, with a grin.

“Hmm, let’s see… Is Adora troubling you? Or is it your vague distrust of Light Hope due to her similarities in role to Shadow Weaver? Maybe it’s how the Sword is-”

“Shut up! It’s you, so just go away!”

“Okay, but I hope you know we won’t be able to fix Light Hope until we work together. Or something.” Then he flew away.

Catra seriously hoped ‘or something’ was the case, as she looked up to the floating rocks. What was up with them, anyways? Then she noticed the writing. Still somewhat foreign to her but now registerable, First Ones writing. The rocks were debris.

  
  
  


“We’re holding a hostage. Good guys don’t do that!” Bow shouted.

“Catra would, if it would make you feel any better!” Adora shouted from afar as the two argued.

“Maybe we should just let her go-” Bow suggested.

“Let her go? Did she let us go? No! She let the Horde torture us!” Glimmer refused.

“Well yeah, she’s the bad guy!”

“You know, if I was the one who captured you, I would never let you guys go!” Adora shouted again. Adora was formulating a plan. She was quite experienced at the art of manipulation and the mind of someone as emotional and impulsive as Glimmer, and the mind of someone who was too noble for his own good like Bow, was putty in her hands. And this was the only way to escape, since her Force Captain badge was out of battery. She should have remembered to turn it off, she thought.

“Listen, we didn’t mean for this to happen, but it did. And now, we should use it to our advantage.”

“Huh, that’s funny. I remember Shadow Weaver saying that. Except for the first part. Cuz we did mean it to happen.”

“Shut up!” Glimmer then strutted to Adora. “We’re taking you to Bright Moon. And if the Horde wants you back, they’ll have to give us Entrapta.”

“Why, suddenly interested in her again now that she makes weapons for us?”

Glimmer pulled out her staff, only stopping when Bow grabbed it and snatched it away from her.

“Thanks, Bow. Hey, I got a favor to ask? You know, I helped you escape the Fright Zone and this time, you let me go. Simple as that.”

“We’re not doing that.”

Adora was trekking along with Glimmer and Bow, looking around.

“Why did you have to do this?” Bow asked. “You could have stayed with us.”

“I prefer not to exchange pleasantries with my captors.”

“Suit yourself, then.”

“Actually, I think I’ll make an exception for you, Bow. Since you seem reasonable.” ‘And malleable,’ she thought.

“Oh, okay.” Bow was excited. Maybe he’ll get through to Adora? And get her to join, this time for good? In his excitement, he didn’t know he was playing right into her hands.

“And, I’ll answer three questions. You can ask anything. And I promise I’ll tell the truth.”

Promises were meant to be broken, Adora found that out the hard way with Catra, but she took a challenge upon herself; escape without ever lying to Bow or Glimmer.

“What are you asking for? Ask away!”

“Will you join the Rebellion?”

“Maybe.”

Glimmer didn’t trust Adora at all. Not when she changed her mind in less than a day and left Catra to die, then attacked Bright Moon. She could obviously see Adora was trying to win over Bow’s trust in some way. And Glimmer had to warn her.

“Bow, can I talk with you for a second?” Glimmer asked. 

“What, and let me run off?” Adora chuckled. “Please do.”

Glimmer realized that as resourceful as Adora was, with her hands tied and under constant supervision, she couldn’t do anything to escape. As long as she was under supervision. Which meant she would have to talk with Adora in front of her.

“Bow, she’s obviously trying to trick you! She’s done that before, you know that!”

“Glimmer, I genuinely believe there’s good in her, and that we can bring it out. Get her to fight for us, or at least not fight for them.”

“Us or them, huh? Did you know that the frequency of bandit raids in lands under Horde occupation is significantly lower than that of Rebellion lands? Not as black or white as you’d think!”

“Adora, the Horde literally burns down villages to make a point, or to relieve stress for Force Captains. Don’t pretend you’re fighting for a noble cause.” Bow said. This ticked Adora off. 

“I’ll change that. And besides, I’m at least fighting for my friends. Better than what Catra’s fighting for.”

“What do you think she fights for?” Glimmer asked. “She’s our friend, and there’s no way she would-” Adora’s sneer stopped her. 

“You know why I rescued you guys in the Fright Zone? Because back then I believed in Catra, too. That though she wasn’t really the nicest person, she was a good person deep inside and she really cares for her friends.” Adora then smirked, raising her eyebrow.

“That’s what you think of her, right? With the whole ‘This is not because I like you.’ and how she gets all flustered and pretends to be angry whenever she gets complimented. She’s just using you, until you aren’t of use anymore to them. Trust me, I know.”

“Catra said you-”

“left her to die? Yes. But I was doing the world a favor by getting rid of her. Anyways, Bow, why don’t you ask your second question?”

Bow, just walking, next to Glimmer, pointed at himself. “Who, me?”

“Unless there are any other Bows around here.”

“All right… How did you lose faith in Catra?”

“Well, you know I believed in Catra at one point, I just told you that. When Catra initially joined you, I thought she was captured and brainwashed. I was naive then.”

“You told me all that back when you were with us.” Glimmer said. Adora chose to ignore her.

“When you were captured and Catra was on the verge of getting her mind wiped by Shadow Weaver, she seemed too determined to not come back to the Horde. That’s when I realized she wasn’t brainwashed at all. Then you know how it goes, I punch Shadow Weaver, you leave Entrapta behind, yada yada.”

“We thought she was dead!” Glimmer yelled.

“Well, that’s a poor excuse. But anyways, me and Catra ended up at the Crystal Castle.”

“That wasn’t the question we asked.” Bow stated.

“I’m getting there. There, the Castle showed us visions of memories in our past. That was when everything kind of clicked. The reason she left in the first place. The reason she made friends with me in the first place.”

“Which would be?” Bow asked, intrigued. “Bow! Don’t listen to her!” Glimmer yelled.

“I mean, Shadow Weaver said she’d assign me a new squad, pushing me and her apart, then she finds another way to power; the Sword. Right that night, without a second thought, she downright abandons me. Isn’t that funny?”

“Adora, it’s just a coincidence. And she really wanted you with her.”

“You’re wrong about her.”

“Ugh! Bow, she’s hopeless! Can we just shut her up already?”

“Glimmer, she did help us get out! She was on the verge of joining us, no, staying with us, when the Castle caused some misunderstandings. I trusted you enough to follow this mission without any backup. Now it’s time for you to trust me.”

“Wait, you guys didn’t have any backu- whoa!” Adora ‘tripped’, falling off the road they were walking and off a cliff.

“Glimmer! We have to get her!”

“I’m not getting her! She’s done that on purpose, anyways. She’ll be fine.”

“Fine.” Then Bow jumped after her.

And what choice did Glimmer have but to rescue them, Bow holding onto Adora to make sure both of them were saved?

They crash-landed in the river.

Drying themselves off, Adora stayed in one place as Bow and Glimmer jumped up and down to shake off the droplets.

“Ugh! Now I’m out of magic.” Glimmer yelled, then stopped when Bow looked at her. Adora noticed, but pretended to have not heard that.

“Bow must be a good friend.” Adora muttered to Glimmer.

“Not your business, Horde Scum.”

The three started walking again, with Bow feeling comfortable enough to keep her by his- and Glimmer’s- side.

“I’m pretty on the edge with staying with the Horde here. I think I can do with a friend like Bow here, and I heard you guys know about First Ones. I can read their writing for some reason, and I would like to know why.”

“You’re dead wrong if you think you can get Bow to join you.”

“You know, I bet you don’t have many friends. I can tell. It was the same with Catra.”

“Can you just be quiet?”

“Nope. I know how to bite, learned it from Catra. Better not gag me. Anyways, see these small lines on my nose here?”

Glimmer noticed little claw marks were on her nose. Everywhere on her face, actually. From the edge of her lip. her left eye, and even on her chin.

“Don’t be too frightened. Most of these were made when she couldn’t control her claws. The one on my nose and eye, though? They’re intentional. Left eye was when she left me, nose was when I made a new friend, Lonnie. Might have heard of her.”

“Anyways, I’m not trying to pry Bow away from you. It seems like your jealousy will do that. I would just appreciate a friend like him more than you currently do, as you seem to take him for granted.” Adora wasn’t lying, of course. She was just giving her advice. And cementing Bow’s trust in her at the same time.

She remembered watching Glimmer and Bow squabble, as Bow came to Prom with someone other than her. Adora was hoping to use it to get a rise out of her. And hopefully, Bow would come to her defence.

“Listen, Horde Scum, I don’t know what game you’re playing, but you better-”

“Glimmer, she’s not playing any games, just look at what she’s said so far. She just said she is interested in joining us, and she just told you to not get too possessive. Sound advice if you ask me. And it seems like there’s just a misunderstanding between her and Catra.”

“What misunderstanding?” Adora played dumb.

“Well, you should know that she advocated for you all this time. And she wanted you back so much that she even tried to run off to the Fright Zone to get you.”

“She… she did?” Adora wasn’t actually surprised. Catra knew the Horde would be weakened with Adora out of the way. And she would get to use Adora like she had all these years, probably throwing her away once things got better and she wasn’t needed anymore.

“Yeah. Adora, Catra really cares for you. The castle may have shown some iffy memories between you, but things like that happen even among friends! We’ve had fights.” Bow said, pulling Glimmer close.

Adora wasn’t swayed by him at all. Catra used her, was using her, and would have used her more if she didn’t cut her out. It also seemed like Bow did not know about the ‘iffy memories’, because if he did, he would have been disgusted in Catra too.

“She… does?”

Bow made a compassionate smile. Adora almost felt sorry she had to do this to him.

Pretending to be panicked, Adora frantically tried to reach for her chest.

“What’s wrong?” Bow asked, equally panicking. 

“I have to turn the Force Captain badge off! It only responds to a pre-determined series of complex gestures, and I don’t have time to explain it to you!”

“Why? Unless…” Bow came to a realization. “Glimmer, we have to get Adora free!”

“What? Are you crazy? There’s no way we’re letting her free!”

“If you can’t trust her, then trust me! And we can’t risk getting captured by the Horde again.”

Glimmer hesitated, a lot, after finally relenting. 

Which was exactly what Adora wanted.

The moment she was let free, Adora kicked Bow in the gut, knocking him over.

“Sorry, Bow. I have friends back in the Horde that I have to protect. And besides, I’ll never stop until Catra is powerless and utterly alone. So no, I won’t be joining you.”

“I knew it!” Glimmer tried to rush Adora again, but this time, she was easily overpowered. 

“A sneak attack was your best chance, and you blew it this time. Good luck beating me now.”

And in less than a minute, Glimmer was unable to fight. Adora tossed her next to Bow, who was conscious but still reeling from the blow.

Glimmer still had one trick up her sleeve though. 

“If I only had my magic…” then she flashed a little magic so only Bow could see it. This was a que for Bow to distract Adora, of course.

“Adora, about that third question? Entrapta… is she okay?”

Adora looked down on him, and decided it wouldn’t do any harm for him to know.

“She is. She’s in the Fright Zone, free to experiment with whatever she wants. Trust me. If you raided the Fright Zone again for her, she wouldn’t leave unless you dragged her along with you.” Then she scoffed, looking in some other direction for a split second.

“Glimmer, now!”

And with a flash, they were gone. Looked like the report was going to be longer than expected. 

When Bow and Glimmer returned to Bright Moon exhausted, Catra was excited. “Hey guys, while you guys were doing… whatever you do, I repaired a watchtower that Mara broke, and I got to forge a bond with Swift Wind! Which means less snark from him!”

Then she noticed the state of the two.

“What did you do, anyways?”

“Catra? We have a lot to catch up on.” Glimmer sighed.

  
  
  


In the Fright Zone, Shadow Weaver was visited again. 

“Ah, Force Captain. Here for some more questions?”

“How did you keep control of your subordinates?” Adora asked. She found out that the reason of Entrapta’s existence in the Horde was discovered was because Scorpia did not blow up the EKS, which led to First Ones tech being salvaged. Scorpia received a reprimand- that’s what the report said, anyways, but what happened was a scolding.

“Adora, love will not earn respect,  _ fear  _ will.”

“No, you’re wrong. That’s why you failed, and I won. Guess you never knew. After all, you couldn’t keep me from outgrowing you.”

“Yes, I suppose. But I still have wisdom left in these old bones. Perhaps you’d listen in exchange for a more favorable sentence?”

Adora pondered upon it, before agreeing. And by doing so, completed the first stage of Shadow Weaver’s plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adora's plan was based on what she experienced in the Horde, though she wasn't consciously aware of it. Adora was playing the role of Shadow Weaver, Bow Adora, and Glimmer Catra. Maybe Adora saw Catra in Glimmer and got an idea? And I'm kinda sorry I omitted the whole watchtower thing out, but let's be honest, Swift Wind isn't important.


	17. S2Ep3. The Signal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra goes ghostbusting.
> 
> Adora suffers Hordak properly.
> 
> Shadow Weaver offers Adora a gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ngl, I didn't put much effort in this episode. Just a couple future plot points and some pathetic attempts at humor. But anyways, enjoy. Or not.

“I can’t believe Entrapta is working for the Horde!” Catra shouted, the Best Friend Squad en route to Alwyn. “Must be Shadow Weaver’s mind magic or something.”

“I dunno, she seemed normal when we talked to her. Entrapta-normal, but still.” Glimmer questioned it. Entrapta was a morally dubious character, not because she was evil, but because she didn’t really know what her tinkerings would cause.

“She wants to be with the Horde, they do have better tech than us. But we have  _ magic  _ on our side.”

“Magic and tech aren’t totally separate things.” Bow corrected, “Entrapta is one of the only people who really understands that.”

“And you’re the other one?” Catra snarked.

“I know you didn’t mean that, Catra. And no, I only vaguely know about it because Entrapta had this long-winded speech about magic and first ones tech are virtually indistinguishable. She actually understands how they are interconnected.”

“Anyways, she got closer to combining them than anyone else. And now she’s with the Horde.” Bow looked away from the arrow he was fixing, to see Catra and Glimmer staring at him dejected.

“Well, who needs Entrapta?”

“We do. Adora does, apparently.”

“Catra, I was going to say, you’ve got Bow, tech master and premier member of the Etherian Maker Community.”

Catra really had to agree. Though Bow was eclipsed in the technological aspect by Entrapta, so was everyone else. Bow really was the cream of the crop, smart and charismatic. Catra thought about how Bow would fare in the Horde. Would his touchy-feely ways prevent him from fostering in that environment? Would he have been noticed by Shadow Weaver, and be personally tutored by Shadow Weaver as well? Would he then use his natural ability to empathize with others for evil? Was his emotional maturity even hereditary?

Catra had a lot of questions, but it was interrupted by Bow’s arrow exploding.

Had Adora been there, she’d tell him that though Entrapta’s tinkering were very effective, she did make a lot of mistakes before she came up with a reliable prototype- the others were prone to ‘unexpected self destructions’. Before subduing him and forcibly taking him to the lab in the Fright Zone to cooperate with Entrapta.

But she was not there, and Bow’s self esteem took a hit.

“Yeah, uh, meant to do that.”

“No, you didn’t!” A familiar annoying voice rang through the forest. Swift Wind. The fact that his voice was so silky smooth and deep only added insult to injury.

“I saw buildings ahead, the outpost is close. And closed. Ha ha.”

“Entrapta made her decision. We can’t change that. But we can focus on our mission and help our people. We lost all contact with the farming outpost of Alwyn a week ago.” Glimmer briefed. “The Horde hasn’t been reported in the area, but we can’t be too careful.”

“They’re definitely involved, Adora always is. Adora and her  _ stupid friends. _ ”

Catra was partly correct. Adora was going to be involved in Alwyn, but not yet.

“We can handle them. I don’t care if they have Entrapta’s inventions. They’re no match for us. We’ll handle this the way we always do.”

“Ganging up on them?” Catra.

“Almost dying?” Swift Wind.

“No. Maybe, but no. And also no. By sticking together and never giving up.”

“Yeah! Best Friend Quad to the rescue!” No reaction.

“Because there’s four of us?” Still nothing.

“Bow, it has been a week since I actually started to call you by your actual name. Don’t make me go back to Arrow Boy again.”

  
  
  


Meanwhile, in the Fright Zone, Entrapta was struggling with the biggest engineering problem in her life- a creaking table. Emily’s attempts to find a six-sided hex driver was proving to be futile so far. If Catra had been there, she would have remarked on the redundancy of the hex driver’s name. She would also suggest that she screw it tight with her hands or hair.

But it was about the principle. A bolt deserved to be screwed in by the proper tool. It was basic respect.

Emily beeped, shaking her cephalothorax. 

“You’re right, Emily. How can we possibly work like this?”

  
  
  


Adora was in Alwyn, alone. She wanted to forget about her encounter with Hordak as soon as possible. She almost missed Shadow Weaver, and how she treated her with respect. Though she knew the ‘respect’ was as real as… something that was not real. Adora would have to work on that.

She was just reporting the incident at Dryl to Hordak. In hindsight, she should have picked a better time. It was around when Hordak was working on one of his stupid projects, and that was when Hordak started lashing out. But Adora was not acting rationally, and her ‘report’ became more of a vent. One Hordak did not ask for.

“So, I am to understand you have disturbed me because of your personal trouble involving your subordinates?”

That was when Adora realized she was in trouble.

“Lord Hordak, I-”

“Silence. You have squandered our strategic upper ground by letting the Woods regrow. You have leaked the existence of our  _ greatest asset  _ by failing to rein in Force Captain Scorpia, and you have let yourself get captured.” Hordak then pulled a lever, surrounding the both of them with a vortex of air. Or was it air? As Adora breathed in, she felt slightly airheaded, having a little bit of trouble with breathing, like when she ran half a mile straight.

“Etheria’s atmosphere has proved to be a complicating variable in my experiments. I just removed that variable.”

Adora was a little breathless, but she was overall okay.

“Tell me, Force Captain, how is your breathing?”

“A little bit harder to breathe, Lord Hordak.”

Hordak cocked an eyebrow. The girl needed further investigations. But that’s not what the girl needed to hear now. 

“Do you know what the definition of failure is, Force Captain?” Hordak asked, switching off the machine. 

“Not meeting a standard that is accepti-”

“Was Shadow Weaver’s pet project this pathetic?” Hordak grumbled, just enough for Adora to hear.

“No, Force Captain. Failure is when something ceases to serve a purpose. When that happens, it becomes worthless to me.”

Hordak put his hand back on the lever, meaning to intimidate. Adora didn’t quite get the message.

“Thus far, your performance has been lacking.”

“Lord Hordak, I have been the closest to defeating the Alliance, and no one knows how to manipulate them, defeat them like I do.”

Hordak grinned, pulling away from the lever.

“You say you can defeat the Rebellion? Prove it. You are dismissed.”

The message was clear, though Adora wasn’t sure what was up with the vortex thingie. The moment she outlived her purpose, she would be replaced. She had to earn Hordak’s favor, until she could find a way to defeat him and take over, or at least find a way to keep her friends safe, safe from him. 

And so she was in Alwyn, Rebellion’s own bread basket. She would scout the place out, make the invasion plans, and take over, seriously hampering the Rebellion. But not enough for them to capitulate. Again, she was not interested in ending the war-that would mean Adora would have outlived her use. No, she wasn’t going to end the war until she would ensure her friends’ safety, and the utter defeat of Catra.

  
  
  


“Hey, I’m really sensing something weird the closer we go to the outpost. Like that time General Juliet was sparring with Netossa and she was too eager to get netted.” Swift Wind always had a thing with words. And that thing was causing the most distress in the least amount of words.

“Please don’t talk about that ever again.” Catra mentally said, using the sacred bond with Swift Wind.

“But why would there be anything weird about Alwyn? It’s just one big, happy-” A ghost town revealed itself. “incredibly creepy, orchard.”

“Told you.”

  
  
  


Adora was looking around the empty town, looking for anything. Then she found something. Three people and a big cat, to be exact. Adora hid herself as quickly as possible, taking cover in one of the abandoned houses. She could take on Catra. She could take on Glimmer and Bow. 

But she couldn’t take all three of them.

  
  
  


Catra smelled something was off. There was a fresh scent. Faint, but still fresh. This town still had someone in it. Maybe that person knew where it was?

“Guys, I smell someone.”

“Thanks, my new shampoo has really been-”

“Not you, Arrow Boy. Someone else. I don’t know who it is, but I think they’re in that house.”

“Hey, Catra! What if they’re someone from the Horde? I can track Horde technology on my trackpad now. Look!” Bow then turned on the trackpad, which started screeching so loud Catra almost shredded it to bits, with her sensitive hearing and all.

“Oh, man. I must’ve broken something during the upgrade. Not to worry, I can fix this.”

Bow turned the trackpad off then on again. Still broken. “I don’t know how to fix this.”

“It’s okay. Whatever’s going on here, we’ll solve it. Nothing gets past us.” Glimmer was wrong, as Adora was trying to get past them and nobody noticed. 

“Even if people used to tell stories about Alwyn being haunted.” Glimmer chuckled nervously.

Catra scoffed. She’s experienced enough to know that no ghost can be more diabolical than people. Besides, she never quite believed in it, even when Adora would tell stories of ghosts that she heard from Shadow Weaver.

Adora had also experienced enough, but that did not mean she wasn’t scared of ghosts. She was in such a position that only one person was able to hurt her. Ghosts were a whole nother story. Like the story of the Weeping Princess, a vengeful spirit who roams Etheria. Or the Headless Princess. Or-

Her Force Captain badge beeped. Grizzlor.

“Uh, Force Captain Adora, about that iridium plate armor-”

“Force Captain Grizzlor, I don’t have time for this right now! I thought I sent you those-”

“Uh, yeah. They were intercepted by General Netossa.”

Adora facepalmed her big forehead, the slap ringing through Alwyn. 

“Take some from 2nd battalion, Octavia won’t be needing them. Salineas isn’t going down anytime soon, anyways. Okay, bye.”

Adora had to move quickly, as her position was compromised. And she had to somehow throw her scent off. She looked around, and saw a giant pool of mud. Would Adora really sacrifice her dignity just for a little increase in the chance of not getting caught?

As Adora came out of the mud pool, dirty but clean of her scent, she was reminded again that being a Force Captain was not the cool job she thought it was.

  
  
  


The Best Friend Squad kicked open the door, Catra now confident that the scent belonged to Adora. Except… the trail ended in a pool of mud. Typical Adora, Catra thought. But backtracking, they found some important information, in the form of a cold lasagna.

It was practically untouched, its residents having left the town a while ago. The evacuation was completely voluntary, as there were no signs of struggle nor coercion. They were also not informed on this mass evacuation beforehand, or this perfectly good slice of lasagna would not have gone to waste.

With these clues in mind, they continued their investigations.

  
  
  


Meanwhile, in the Fright Zone just outside Hordak’s sanctum, Entrapta was pondering on an ethical question. Adora made Entrapta promise before she left for Alwyn that she would  _ never  _ go inside Hordak’s sanctum. But principles were principles. So there was ethical dilemma number 63: her principles, or her promises?

After some mental gymnastics that would make even the most cognitively dissonant people proud, Entrapta came to the conclusion that  _ if Adora never finds out, she wouldn’t be breaking her promise. _ And so just her and Emily- Scorpia was stuck in one of the ducts looking for her- the two of them entered the sanctum. And there was a hex driver. And also an experiment she realized was something big.

And it wasn’t succeeding. Hordak, in his frustration, knocked over the contents of a table that was nearby before storming off with Imp. Entrapta didn’t like that attitude. She knew that failure was as important as breakthroughs in science. Her attitude and persistence was mostly what got her experiments to be eventually successful. 

“Well, there’s no reason to get  _ huffy _ because an experiment failed. Failure is a vital part of all scientific endeavour.” She said, picking up the hex driver. 

“What if I had given up on you after the first explosion? Or the 50th?” She walked towards Hordak’s big project.

“I know. I should leave, but I have to stay. For science.”

  
  
  


Things were getting creepier in Alwyn. Ghostly apparitions randomly appeared and faded, voices whispering everywhere… the Best Friend Squad was panicking. Catra wasn’t one to believe in ghosts, but when the evidence presented itself, Catra was reasonable enough to change her beliefs. Even aloof Swift Wind was scared out of his wits, flying high to avoid the ghosts.

But then Bow noticed something. These ghosts, they were trapped in some kind of loop. Until it all clicked. The ghosts were holograms, like Light Hope. Less sophisticated, but still. 

“Glimmer, Catra, I think they’re holograms!” 

“I’m not risking it!” But Glimmer also noticed that nothing’s happened to them- she slowly opened an eye to see that they were, in fact, holograms on loop. Then they were abruptly cut off.

The BFS rushed off to the watchtower, and saw all the roots surrounding it ripped off; and what seemed like an interface, covered with mud.

“I don’t get it. Why would Adora do this?” Bow asked. 

And Catra wanted to answer, but she didn’t know, either.

  
  
  


Adora walked away with nothing but a single word: selenia. What this meant, she would have to find out. But back in the Fright Zone, she found out that Scorpia and Adora’s room was surprisingly devoid of chatter and beeping; Entrapta was gone.

When Adora and Scorpia rushed into Hordak’s sanctum, they were too late as Entrapta was already spotted. 

“Lord Hordak, I am sorry for Entrapta’s intrusion! She is new and-”

“Silence, Force Captain. You are the one who intruded with your unwelcome visit. Entrapta is aiding me in a project. One you are too feeble-minded to comprehend.”

  
  
  


Adora visited Shadow Weaver’s cell, still covered in mud and looking miserable.

“Being me isn’t quite what you imagined, is it?” Shadow Weaver said, in a voice Adora would almost mistake for sympathetic. “Don’t take it too personally. He never trusted me, either.”

“I’m not doing it for Hordak’s respect! I’m doing it to protect my friends.”

Shadow Weaver just stared at her, saying more with just her eyes than what words could possibly say.

“Adora, my lessons were not over before… your promotion. Would you like to learn more? Learn how to earn respect, from superiors and subordinates?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise the next episode, coming soon, is going to be much cooler. Trust me, I got a plan and character arcs written for Catra and Adora, as well as Glimmer.

**Author's Note:**

> She-Ra made me read fanfic, and now it made me write it. Critical feedback is much appreciated.


End file.
